By Darcy MacRae
Every successful hockey team needs one essential quality: leadership. The Sudbury Northern Wolves of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League feel extremely blessed in this department, as they have two players who fit the bill as team leaders
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Dabous |
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Forwards Mathieu Shank and John Dabous, both 20, are sharing the ?C? this season, serving as co-captains. Sudbury head coach Wayne Goudreau feels the pair complement each other to provide excellent leadership for the squad?s younger players.
?Matt (Shank) shows a lot of leadership on the ice. He scored 62 goals last year to lead the league, and a lot of rookies knew that about him...,? said Goudreau.
?Johnny Dabous leads in the dressing room. He?s a big leader in there because of the way he handles himself. They?re both really good with the young kids.?
Shank and Dabous have been with the Northern Wolves since the team?s inaugural season three years ago. Dabous was the first player the Northern Wolves signed.
?Matt and I have become such good friends over the years, and we?re both looking forward to help leading a young team,? said Dabous.
While on-ice performance is the number one concern for Dabous, the two-way forward is also a strong believer in dressing room etiquette and respectful off-ice behaviour.
For Shank, the job of co-captain brings with it a big sense of responsibility. He wants to help younger players develop their skills and work ethic, while showing them how to win at the same time. The native of Sturgeon Falls admits that being a captain adds a bit of weight to his shoulders, but feels it does not effect the way he plays.
?I?ve always been somebody to put a lot of pressure on myself, so the pressure from being captain doesn?t really bother me. It?s more personal pressure than anything else,? said Shank.
He hopes that he and Dabous can help the young players adapt to the rigorous world of junior hockey.
The Northern Wolves play two home games this week: tonight against North Bay and Friday against the Soo. Home is McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff.
For more information, visit www.northernwolves.net
