AVS COACH

Any word on who will be coaching the AVS this season? Tryouts have started with most club but no word from the AVS.

Dave Boitz (yes, I'm serious)...

Thats what the word up here is.... though they are being unusually quiet on the issue.

I see North Iowa has an open tryout this weekend. Maybe something will come out of their camp. I wonder why it is being kept so quiet if he is indeed the coach?

Word from a Tier III scout that Boitz was at the open tryout for North Iowa last weekend. If that is the case I would guess that he will not be the next coach of the AVS.

ITS OFFICIAL!!!


Dave Boitz is the new head coach of the Alaska Avalanche

http://frontiersman.com/articles/2008/06/27/breaking_news/doc486439cf54d10558221498.txt

Very good hire...now lets hope the community gets behind the team this season.

This coaching move makes the Avs the team to beat
in the West division.

Somebody better tell Fairbanks.

calvin wrote:

This coaching move makes the Avs the team to beat in the West division.

Hopefully it makes them more competitive, but they had a lot of ground to make up on Fairbanks. Until the Avs prove otherwise on the ice, Fairbanks is still the team to beat in the West.

The Avs were the youngest team in the league, and
we all know age and experience are huge in this league.
They have alot of skill returning and a very talented
rookie class. With Boitz running the show, look out.

Avs next year

Several last year players not coming back for one reason or another. Some quitting some moving up etc. But as long as they stick with the plan to have a preponderance of Alaska players they cannot be competitive. (Besides it creates dissension on the team.) And one must realize Smith is still GM and Morris is still feeding Alaska high school kids to program.

But better coaching will no doubt help a good deal.

I got a funny ear full of info that Boitz has a line of ringers and a goalie he intends to bring to to the valley. Ringers, as in 20yr olds, with some serious experience, and not from the NAHL. If what I heard is true, things are going to get very interesting in the west this season.

Maybe someday Heisler you will actually know what you are talking about.

All things considered fairbanks has done an incrdible job of moving kids on. The av's cannot compete with fairbanks as far as recruiting players. As has been said before these kids are not playing jr hockey to win a championship they are here to move on.

Avs Coach

Heisler,

Boitz may have a "bunch of ringers", but he is not the GM or the driving force for the Av's. Management intends to stick to the path of Alaska kids on the team. There will be little to no room for "ringers". New goalie will likely come (McGinnis I would guess from NIO) but not enough room for ringers or Boitz loyalists to change the look of the Avs.

Boitz, has no place to go from NAHL. He could possibley go to the pros from NAHL but he cannot go to collegiate level or even to the USHL. So, he will have to play ball with mamagement. Fact is Avs will stay on present path and will continue to run a program of pretty good players and very good kids, but not much upward movement.

How can Boitz just bring someone from North Iowa with him (McGinnis) as he would have to be released from North Iowa or traded. I'm not sure they would trade last years backup without their main camp even completed.

McGinnis and the Avs

Well, McGinnis attended the Av's tryout, so some arrangement must have been made with NIO.

I've never seen McGinnis play so I don't really know if he is any good. But he is an 88, in his final year of Jr. and has only played 14 games in the NAHL. The Avs have always had to rely on a solid tender so I will be suprised if they bring such an inexperienced goalie. Especialy when they have a very good local talent who is a 90 and will be at the main camp fighting for a spot.

Avs Goalie

I did not say that Boitz was bringing McGinnis with him to Avs. That was started by someone else. I just said that McGinnis was at tryout and therefore must have some form of release from NIO.

While Avs have had to depend on strong goal tending in the past, there were many reasons for that. One is obviously poor defense, and another is obviously even poorer offense (scoring). I believe the reason for both of these is that the team was too dependent on the philosophy of going with mostly local talent. Besides if you look at Avs goalie stats from last year and their stats in the league, I don't think you would say they were exactly top of the heap tenders.