The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s 2013-2014 Champions. In one week they will take that newly minted Championship on the road to compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
To truly appreciate just how special this Championship is you have to look back to the beginning of the Gold Miners. Born from the ashes of the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils, the Gold Miners started operations in January of the 2011-2012 season.
In the summer of 2012, Marc Lafleur was brought in as Head Coach and General Manager from his Assistant Coaching position with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
It was literally one day after Lafleur took the job that he phoned me to discuss a player I had on the team the preceding season. He was on the job, and working from the very first day building a team he felt could win a championship.
In his first season, he only won Coach Of The Year while improving the team on and off the ice. But if you know Marc Lafleur, you almost expected that too happen.
First and foremost, Lafleur is a teacher, not just a coach. See, that’s what’s often lost on many coaches these days is the teaching aspect of the game, and not just the judging of talent. Knowing Lafleur was actually a grade school teacher was one of the things that gave me confidence in his ability to turn things around in short order.
It was last summer after the Gold Miners climb from last to second place and a semi final playoff series exit that I met Marc in person at the Pre Draft Combine. It was there I got to know him as a talent evaluator and friend.
He is a quiet but astute talent evaluator and scout, a head coach who actively enjoys the scouting and recruiting process. A few players from the Combine were fortunate enough to be taken to Kirkland Lake in the 2013-2014 season.
I remember Lafleur saying to me very emphatically, “Joe, I think we are just a few players away.” when talking to him right before the season started. It was not long after that we spoke and he said, “I think we have the pieces now and we are built for the playoffs.”
Well, its really hard to argue those statements now. After a few moves during the season, the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are NOJHL Champions. Would anyone have believed this could happen when the Gold Miners were born? Would anyone have thought it would happen in just two short seasons?
Maybe someone would have, and that’s Marc Lafleur.
Joseph Kolodziej – Publisher
