Pandovski, Burrows running Jr. A team
By: Mike Hayakawa

Keith Pandovski recalled purchasing his wedding ring for his wife, Phyllis, in Whitchurch-Stouffville a few years back.

The 54-year-old Toronto resident hopes he can get another ring while he’s in town.

Only this time, he hopes to have one for each member of the Stouffville Spirit marking an Ontario Junior Hockey League or RBC Cup championship.

Pandovski acknowledged he has a challenging task after being named the Spirit’s new president of hockey operations and governor Tuesday.

AHL, NHL options

He is no stranger to the league as he served as general manager of the Milton Icehawks two seasons ago before taking a sabbatical last season to spend time with Phyllis as they were celebrating their 30th anniversary.

He had opportunities to work in the American and East Coast hockey leagues or as an NHL scout. With his wife two years away from retirement from Hydro One, Pandovski sought an opportunity to remain in the game close to his Toronto home.

“I was looking to be in the right situation,” he said.

A father of two sons, Bryan, 29, and Darin, 23, both former minor hockey players, Pandovski is not exactly a stranger to Whitchurch-Stouffville. Bryan lives here and he has other close friends who own businesses or live here.

“I know the tradition of Stouffville for years of having a winning tradition. It’s a great community,” he said. “We have to get right back to the community core and get people involved.

“I did it in Milton when we started with just a dust pan and broomstick and we built that team and we made money.

“This will be a challenge, but I love challenges and I will treat this as a business,” he said. “I’m a shaker and a mover and we will make it happen here.”

He met with the players at practice Tuesday.

“I just told the kids ‘it’s up to you to show us what you can do,’” he said.

Pandovski immediately named Ken Burrows as their general manager.

“I want to surround myself with good people. Kenny knows hockey and he knows that I know a lot about hockey. I know we will work well together. I’m a team player,” Pandovski said. “At the end, we’re all in it for the same goal.”

Burrows, 41, is no stranger to the Spirit as he served the team as a scout, assistant coach and general manager for 11 seasons prior to being dismissed after the 2006-07 season. A minor hockey star here in the 1980s, he’s a lifelong Stouffville resident.

At the start of this season, Burrows worked with the Newmarket Hurricanes as their director of player personnel. Last season, he served as general manager of the Collingwood Blues.

“It sure feels good to be back,” Burrows said. “Keith (Pandovski) seems like a down-to-earth guy and he wants to work hard at bringing a winner here. The scene here is a little different from when I was last here (with the Spirit). A lot of people have moved on.”

Burrows conceded he has plenty of work to do with the last-place team. He wants to help restore the confidence of the team and hopes the club can play .500-level hockey for the rest of the regular season.

Loves challenges

“Our goal now as a team is to get the kids ready for the playoffs and improve them the best we can,” Burrows said. “I feel we’ve got some all-right pieces in place. But I’ve got some work to do.”

Mark Joslin, who served as the Spirit’s general manager prior to Burrows taking over, will remain as head coach.

“Keith has done it all and I think he will be very valuable for the organization and myself. He knows his stuff and he’s well connected in terms of the league stuff and paperwork that’s involved,” he said.

Agreeing he’s relieved to be focusing his efforts strictly on coaching, Joslin is confident Pandovski and Burrows can salvage the remainder of the regular season by making the transactions required to make the club a contender once the playoffs roll around. “If they get what I need and I don’t turn things around then I’m accountable,” Joslin said.

WTF!!!! Nobody tells little old me ANYTHING!

Congrats Unky!! See you soon........

*I can see your five hole*

i think ken will get it done! he will surround himself with good people as he did before and bring a level of respect back to stouffville. obviously he and laren must have had a serious discussion and i give credit to laren for having the guts to realize that it was wrong to have let ken leave in the first place. i'm looking forward to going to see a spirit game soon and wish ken the best...i wonder how many of the old crew of staff and volunteers we will see back as they left enmass when ken left a couple of years ago

Can Burrows salvage something from this season?

First step to receiving help is helping yourself.

I think he can.

Stouffville doesn't have to worry about making the playoffs in the CD, since all eight teams make it.

Therefore he has a lot of time to turn the team around at least enough that they can make a good showing in the 1st round and who knows anything can happen and usually does.

They have the next week off between games with 23 left in the season including a late season 5 game home stand.

a whole week off. that would be a perfect time to make any adjustments to the team and or staff.

So how much longer do we have to wait for ANOTHER change in Stouffville behind the bench? This one, is much needed.

Mark Joslin is not a good coach, and is being outcoached all over the place. He was nothing more than a great coaches (Dupont) door opener, and puck pusher at practice. He landed a HC job on a very good team at the time (Pickering) and proceeded to "coach" them into the basement. Heading for higher ground and blaming everyone but himself for the bad season, he resigns a ends up the "GM" in Stouffville.

Here, again coming off a winning season, he quickly weasels his way onto the bench as Associate Coach and undermines Dave D at every chance he gets. Finally gets his way and Dave "resigns" turning the team over to Joslin. Stouffville have gone 2 AND 17 since. Granted of late some of the games have been blow-outs but most games are close losses. It's not the goaltending because they have one of the best, and the d-core is solid...hmmm what could it be. Brutal coaching, no adjustment to opponents, practices that look like hockey camp skates, and the inability to identify who to have on the ice at the correct time.

Sad.

I'd like to go south to watch Markham play, but have a problem with Joe Cornacchia being behind the bench given his past.

Joe Cornacchia is now behind the Waxer bench?

What happened to Rick Cornacchia, don't tell me he "bailed" on the Waxers! For Shame, does Wexdog and PM87 know about this? and how come there wasn't a big deal on the Forum about it, as was the case when Dupont moved up to the "Q"??

The "double standards" on this Forum never cease to amaze me.

From website -

Monday Nov 17 Effective immediately Rick Cornacchia has assumed the role as Director of Hockey Operations, Joe Cornacchia is the GM/Head Coach, the other coaching staff will remain in their current roles, Jeff Perrin, Associate Coach, Paul Tamburro, Assistant Coach.

Record since - 3 & 4

Have to disagree with ya northoftoronto. Stouffvilles problem is defence,its terrible. The defence are trying to play a run and gun and they leave the goalies to fend for themselves. They don't have the talent to play this game and theres not one dman thats solid defensively.

I guess that's why 2 of them have full D1 scholarship and are on the NHL Scouting Watch list! do your research before you open your mouth!

mceachen maybe on the list but surprise if anyone else is

Mceachen is overrated. Defensively a liability and makes his fair share of errors and penalties. Daddy is working behind the scenes to pull the strings with $$$$$$$$$$$$.