Just curious. After hearing a number of mixed reviews with them bringing in some new management blood in Pandovski (now making him GM as well), some have said a questionale rookie camp and questions concerning what players are coming in and back. Is it getting better or worse???

Does the new VP/GM got a handle on things and is he going to lead the Panthers to new success (now having full control) or just survive the new play in the expanded Central. Does this team have the support ($$$$$) to compete and who is there coach??? Did/will brady survive the post-Watters era???

You hear so much on the Attack and I wonder why the Panthers get the short end of the stick. Is it that they are a lost cause with the owner having his kid playing there??? Is this team a mere shadow of its previous few good years???

Used to love Friday nights at the old rec, now I just don't know. Can anyone clear up these questions. I don't have the insight/scoops some of you really have.

I think right now the Panthers are without a PR/Communications person, which might explain the lack of information.

brady is coach

Has nothing to do with Watters in Ajax as his son Ian Watters is now in the OHL with Brampton.

It was Watters who brought in Brady. Watters will still have his finger on the team through Brady. This year will prove whether Brady earns the right to stay or gets canned. Talking to some of the Pickering people they are very confident going into the year and the players and parents are very positive. Remember it was Pickering who took it to Ajax the last two games of the year and was the stronger team at the end. Knowing both teams and the situations on both teams its Pickering that has the upper hand in player personnel. Most importantly the goalie position on Pickering will be far superior to Ajax.In terms of owners kids a forward can always be blended in up front but a goalie can't hide. Checkmark to Pickering. Defence is stronger on Pickering. Checkmark to Pickering. Forwards on Ajax a bit stronger but not by much. Checkmark to Ajax. Coaching, if you asked me through the year I would have said Durant, but the way it ended, it showed me Durant does not prepare his teams well nor can he motivate them. Kids tune the yelling out. No Checkmark to either team. Ownership, both teams are well financed though there were rumours about Ajax possibly having some difficulty because of the auto industry. Even.

Personally, I think both teams should have been amalgamated into one team a long time ago, it would have made perfect sense. You would have a much stronger team going deeper into playoffs which translates into more scholarships. The majority of the Attack players are supporting the very few core insiders that the Ajax owner and coaches are supporting for scholys. I think everyone knows who those chosen few are.

whose helping him this year?

Head Coach- Bill Brady
Assistant Coach- Bruce Kinsman
from the panthers website

Just to set the record straight, Mr Watters had nothing to do with bringing Bill Brady to Pickering. That was the owner's doing. Gary has nothing to do with this team now, nor does he want anything to do with them.

Aside from the great insight once again from Ripped Van Pickle, even if both these tugs (teams) were to take on water, who could they get to save the ship.

Ajax has shown that as long as the owners kid plays, carry on Capt. Carey. And you were dead on about the boys tuning out any yelling over a long period of time. (at any level)

And if the Pickering owner hired the current coach, then do these guys have a clue what they are going to do if the season starts poorly....again!!!

I guess there is always enough retreads out there to carry on the fight. I don't think I've seen any GOOD new blood(championship/winning records material)behind the bench of any of the GTA area teams in a while(not including this new season). That must speak volumes to the lack of appeal the job carries these days.

There are so many good coaches either making more at the minor ($$$$$$$)level or coaches that would do the job for a smaller cut but won't give up the control they currently have. We all know that the GM's run this thing aground because they run the ship. (whether they are at the wheel or not)

We probably all know a guy or two,appreciate their hard work and understand their position when it comes to integrity of the game.

And so the story goes on,

Back to the you guys

As long as we're on the yopic, how about the other two Durham teams Whitby and Bowmanville....haven't heard much about either of them..

As quoted above,

"Just to set the record straight, Mr Watters had nothing to do with bringing Bill Brady to Pickering. That was the owner's doing. Gary has nothing to do with this team now, nor does he want anything to do with them."


Give your head a shake.


"nor does he want anything to do with them."

Whats this all about?

Sharpie, you are correct....

Although, just because creeper isn't around doesn't mean nobody on the forum can talk about the team. It's true, though, hardly anything has been said about pickering, or Whitby, really for that matter.

But the same could be said for a zillion other teams nobody has heard anything from, like Cobourg, Newmarket... what about North York? They hired some nobody coach and now mum's the word? How about Stouffville - what's their game plan? Abysmal Mississauga?


"Well, hello there! Your watch is very today!"

What moves have the Panthers made this off-season?

Pickering Panthers keep busy during summer months..
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/sports/article/127665

Talked to a few parents and players and what is the real story on this guy? I don't think I would ever buy a car from this guy.

Haven't heard the greatest about this guy dating back to his GTHL days but he continues to land on his feet. Mixed stories about what he really was involved with while at Milton/Stouffville. Not much of it good.

Has the old boy network endorsed this guy or he "name dropped" his way into a nice gig on someone elses dollar???

Pickering has put its future in this guys hands???

Should be an interesting season without Watters to blame things on???

Watch for the coach to be the first casuality.

last season i spoke with pickering a few times in regards to my boy but then as soon as keith pandovski joined the team i distanced myself because of talk i would hear at the rink about him. i took that with a grain of salt as people will always talk and called a few friends. their message was clear and it was stay away from pandovski. once i heard he was the gm i knew i wouldnt continue conversations.

i was surprised when my boy received an invitation to their rookie camp even though he was with ajax last year and pickering new that. either way i did not answer. then we got an invitation to a free agent camp but a note saying we needed a permission to skate form signed. i dont understand inviting a non free agent to a free agent camp and asking for money unless its a cash grab. right away it sounds like my friend were right.

He hired him as VP, so he must have been told something from someone that this guy had the goods to get the job done. Then Watters leaves and they give GM as well.

Cue the music, the dance is aout to start. I only hope the can right this ship before Christmas.

Pandovski will be a breath of fresh air over Watters. No more cronies to keep happy. No more favours to buddies of Watters. Pandovski and Porco only want the best players. Besides, all of Watters cronies will run to Durant at Ajax where Watters can still control things. With Pandovski you have an experienced junior hockey executive-with Watters you had a virgin who was playing both sides of the table. The only ones crying the blues on here are the cronies of Watters and Gertzakis. The ship has finally been righted.

Rippedskates, every time you post you just show more and more how very little you know about what actually goes on around the rinks. Real hockey people, when they read your posts or hear about them at the rinks, roll their eyes and shake their heads at you.

Thanks Sharpie, you just made my day. To hear that Rippeds qoutes are all over rinks, well lets just say I'm flattered. They may roll their eyes but the qoutes strike a bullseye.

Quotes.

"They may roll their eyes but the qoutes strike a bullseye."

Maybe if you knew what you were talking about, got your facts straight, and actually talked to a few people at the rink once in awhile, this might be true. But instead, you are a laughing stock because you spew random crap all over the forums with no regard to truth or fact. And what's worse, you don't reveal your identity to anybody; you hide behind the anonymity of your username, completely gutless and cowardly.

I challenge you, rippedskate, to meet me face-to-face, to have the courage to back up your lies by talking to somebody man-to-man, eye-to-eye. I'm never a hard man to find. I'm not saying to meet in a confrontational way, just to talk hockey. If what you are saying is as accurate and truthful as you claim it to be, you shouldn't have anything to hide.

And yet you do. And that is what makes you nothing more than a joke.

Oh, and by the way...

I wouldn't be so flattered to hear that your posts get discussed at the rinks. When they do, it is usually something along the lines of "Did you see what some f***ing moron put up on the forums this week? What an idiot that guy is." Or something similar.

Sharpie, whats a JOKE is how you suck up to everybody you work for. Your nothing more then a kissass and a CRONY of the hockey people we are talking about. Its people like you that keep quiet and defend the old boys network and therefore Sharpie........You are part of the problem. Nothing more then a mouthpiece.


I would not say anything on here that I didn't believe to be true. I'm not on here to say lies for the sake of it. Sharpie, you forget I am very involved in Durham hockey and am very intune, let me repeat, very intune with all 3 teams in durham not including Bowmanville of course. I know players and parents on all 3 teams and get feedback on a regular basis. I even get very embarrassing stuff that I have not even disclosed on here...my choice. So Sharpie....your messing with the wrong customer.

"I would not say anything on here that I didn't believe to be true."

Then meet my challenge. Personally, I never say anything on here that I do not know to be true, because I never say anything on here I would not say to anybody face-to-face. I am willing to back up everything I say. Like I said, I am not a hard man to find, because I believe in making myself accessible and therefore ACCOUNTABLE for everything I say.

If you will not allow yourself to come out from behind the anonymity of your username, then you obviously do not hold yourself to the same standards of accountability, scrutiny, or credibility. Which is fine, whatever floats your boat...but don't then expect to ever be taken seriously by those of us who actually know what is going on.

Ripped Van Winkle endorses Pandovski ?!?!

Anyone else out there find that funny. Thats really a sad commentary on why there is Trouble in Pickering. Did you notice the capital "T".

Ripped, you have once again shown why you have difficulty with the simple things. With most likely no contact with Pandovski, you make a statement ringing in the new guy simply cause its someone other than the guy who screwed your kid around. (not forgetting of course that your mouth and actions actually did that)

I'll bet you can still be seen driving around Ajax/Pickering area looking for the right coffee shop your friends are actually in. Still in the dark and clueless as ever. You don't endorse one pin head cause you hated the other pin head. If that can't sink in, simply understand that your rants have hit a point that you are now the Forum Madonna.

Any exposure is good exposure. Any thoughts about the world shortage of medical isotopes or does the state of Durham Jr hockey take up what small amount of brain cells you have left???

Back to you Madonna

Im not going to get into the personal fight between ripped and sharpie but i can way into a few things.

RIPPED IS RIGHT. pickering is better without a gm that has a conflict of interest. his kid was on one team while he was running another. thats a little messed up and will always have people second guessing everything.

RIPPED IS WRONG. pandovski appears to be everything wrong in junior hockey. hes in it for himself and to make money at parents expense. i wish this wasnt the case but after making some calls i found out that almost every player in the durham area was invited to the so called FREE AGENT CAMP even though none of them are free agents. im told he ran milton into the ground while taking home a pretty penny and bailed on stouffville when he realised the owners were onto the fact things werent adding up.

SHARPIE HAS A LOT OF HOT AIR. sharpie you can ease off the central is great talk and ripping down ripped and asking for person meetings. he wont do it and hes not going to stop. it also is a bit transparent that suddenly the central is gods gift to hockey once both your teams are added to it. i know you liked it before but suddenly you sound like cdhockey pumping the centrals tires. let the new initiative work itself out and the positives will follow.

BOTH PICKERING AND AJAX HAVE OWNERS KIDS. we know the score in ajax it is what it is. we know the score in pickering it is what it is. but now pickering has added someone that is known to be everything wrong in hockey in pandovski that is unfortunate.

After a few well placed calls to some people who wouldn't bs me, here what I found. Like it or not.

Coach- primarily plays just 2 lines and even mixes those 6 players up every few games. Hasn't emraced the "play my son" scenario and the stats may read 40+ games played for the kid but that's really only a few shifts per game. With only 2 seasons as a HC and how he was let go in Cobourg(early season), the Panthers might want to look for a change sooner rather than later. Atleast get someone in there that can take over when the shoe drops.

VP/GM- thought it was just a guy trying to impress people with the name dropping this guy does but its a character flaw folks. He leaves a mess everywhere here goes. Call his former GTHL club, and Milton while your at it. He didn't really get the best chance in Stouffville. They had lots going on but he wasn't getting away with anything there, so he got out of dodge. Whoever sold this guy to the owner should be hung freely from the windmill at the beach. This guy has sold someone (maybe just the owner) that he will turn things around and based it on his experience. What a joke that is. There are a few experienced Junior people out there that have the goods on this guy and are just smiling and watching from a distance because they are not involved.

Dear Pickering Panther owner,

Forget your kid for a second and heed this insight. There are a few individuals who have eventually exposed themselves for what they truly are....a mark on the hockey world. Some are in jail, some are almost there and some just move around like nomads or gypsys. It all starts with someone with money, a few well place half-truths or outright lies and then the real cover up starts. Its important to create as many distractions that YOU can clear up or put out in front of the money guy. The old #@$!Sh!t baffles...what was that again. Like the guy spinning plates as an act. You are always watching the plates while he runs around in the background spinning more plates. When do you stop the plates !!!

When an individual represents your organization, they must always have the organizations best interest at heart. Any selfishness on their part will mean a potentially negative story about your club out in the general public. LOOK AROUND YOUR HOCKEY OFFICE. If you don't like what you see, make the changes. If your ok with what you see. Good luck with that. I'll save the $10 for a movie each Friday night. No hard feelings.

that guy is friend of mavroudis, too, what i heard

RIPPED IS RIGHT. pickering is better without a gm that has a conflict of interest. his kid was on one team while he was running another. thats a little messed up and will always have people second guessing everything.

Im not in the loop but anyone who puts his kid where he can be judged on
his own merit instead of with his team deserves kudos.
A conflict of interest would be to have him on Dads team.

I guess everyone is forgetting about the OTHER Panther owner...who's kid played with the Panthers a couple years ago... returned mid season last year to tier ll and where does he go...? North York...will he be back with the Panthers this season...?

PCMG, what is your beef with the coaching staff on Pickering? Why do you keep suggesting that there days are numbered? I thought the Panthers did pretty good last year considering that they didnt have one of the better teams in the league but they managed to play some decent hockey in the last 2 months of the season. They managed to beat Lindsay 3 times, Kingston 3 times (1 in playoffs)(not to mention game 4 where Pickering dominated Kingston but ended up with a very tough loss)and they always gave teams a run for there money during the season. They need a #1 goalie as pickering didnt have that last year at all and that hurt the team big time. Keep up the good work in P-Town, looking forward to friday nights at the rec this coming season!

Not to mention that Pickering last season took 9 out of their last 10 possible points in Sanderson Cup games. I personally thought that Pickering was a team that showed a lot of improvement as the season went on.

As many of you know, in my heart I will always have a soft spot for the Panthers. I hope to see them do well again this season.

As stated by above,

"Im not in the loop but anyone who puts his kid where he can be judged on
his own merit instead of with his team deserves kudos.
A conflict of interest would be to have him on Dads team."


What about a father who was an executive in minor hockey and influenced the picking of coaches and the responsibility of those coaches was to take care of his son. And now those same coaches are on junior benches still watching or have watched over the same player.

I have more respect for any player who can achieve hockey goals on their own, not with daddy or his cronies making a path at the expense of other players.

I think the person who I quoted is definitely in the loop.

BLUDA. I dont disagree that any parent wanting his kid to make it on his own is a good thing. but watters was in a bad situation because everything was so close. he was recruiting players for pickering from the same talent pool that ajax was recruiting players for. if a great kid wanted to play for team-a would watters send him to team-b? would he rather see pickering get better? or his sons team get better?

even if his son was the next great player people would always wonder who recruited him? did watters make his sons team better or his team that he works for better. you cant have your cake and eat it to. despite all this i hope watters does great in the ohl.

PCMG. i didnt see every pickering game last season. but i did see at least a quarter of the season given the games against ajax whitby and the others that didnt conflict with my sons. after the first two lines or six top forwards the pickering coach had NOTHING ELSE ON THE BENCH. i mean there was maybe a couple of guys that could play at this level on a forth line. but the pickering coach took kingston to 4 games and almost 5 working those guys. i say he did a pretty damn good job with what he had.

the problem in pickering right now is that they have a FRANK CARNEVALE. they have a VIC CURCILLO. they have a PETER MAVROUDIS. they have KEITH PANDOVSKI. that is the problem they have a person who no parent wants to be involved with. i mean some of those guys are facing jail time!

why would they suddenly have PANDOVSKI in pickering? why would any parent send their child to pickering? knowing the reputation the pickering gm has and the friends the pickering gm has. it doesnt add up to be honest.

BLUDA. I dont disagree that any parent wanting his kid to make it on his own is a good thing. but watters was in a bad situation because everything was so close. he was recruiting players for pickering from the same talent pool that ajax was recruiting players for. if a great kid wanted to play for team-a would watters send him to team-b? would he rather see pickering get better? or his sons team get better

Damned if he did and damned if he didnt . He didnt get any cake.
How many players cut by Pickering wound up in Ajax.?
Where would the most logical place for them to go?

The old Pickering gm is gone and I must say he did a fabulous moving his kid up the ladder. It was masterful.

However, one of his old cronies is still on the Ajax bench making sure his own son is moved ahead. Another conflict of interest. Plus a bunch of milk money to boot. Cary can do all he wants for autism but if he wants true hockey respectability he needs to get parents off the bench as well as their own cronies. If the only goal this year is to now get the assnt coaches son a scholarship then what about every body else? What success did Cary Durant have this year except getting one player a scholarship and OHL spot all in one year? Nothing else. A whole hockey season wasted for one player. Cary Durant is not a true hockey coach........just another puppet on a string controlled by the owner and former pickering gm.

I hope you are coming to the game June 29th.

is it true the pickering goalie wants to go to ajax? heard he wants a trade.

What goalie is this?

Why would any goaltender want to go to Ajax....to sit on the bench and watch Stein get beaten 'like a rented mule'

"and watch Stein get beaten 'like a rented mule'

Leafsbite, part of me feels sorry for Adam but the other part was just roaring at your quote. I think the pickering goalie they are talking about is J C.

Who are the Pickering goalies for this year coming up? Ajax can have him J.C. was nothing special

first, I can't take credit for the line...it's Pittsburgh's tv guy's line, and from what I heard J.C. was goin to school, and wouldn't be playing at all this year........again, all rumours

I really hope Mike Sheremeta gets a shot with Pickering this year. His dad is a friend of mine, known the family for years, very good, nice people. And Mike dressed a few games for the Panthers last year. He's been looking quite good in summer league, too. Turned in a complete game 30 save performance on Sunday.

There are a number of quality goalies coming available very soon. With a specific quota for 19/20 yr olds(Central Only), some teams are not going to kill a card on the older player(especially a goalie) for the coming season.

As teams get closer to camps, there will be movement with a number of teams needing to move tenders.

Good plug for a friends kid tho.

Mike's not an older goalie, he's a young kid with decent skill. Also, it doesn't matter to me what Pickering does, I do not work for them. I would just like to see this kid get a shot because he is a good goalie and a better kid. Great attitude.

As quoted by Sharpie,

"I would just like to see this kid get a shot because he is a good goalie and a better kid. Great attitude."

A lot of kids are good kids with great attitudes, its what you do on the ice that counts. Coaches should pick kids not because they're good kids(the vast majority are good anyways) but because they can play the game, have great attitudes and are coachable.

What moves have the Panthers made this off-season?

The GM changed the locks on all the doors...does that count ?

Can you blame him. Look who was the former occupant.

Im looking for hockey related moves, has Pickering brought any new players in?

Pickering will be a greatly improved team this coming year. When you have solid leadership from the owner and manager everything follows through. Why not give KP a call, I'm sure he'll give you the details.

Tom, you have to the biggest a-hole on the planet. Too bad I did not see you at the ACC for rookie game.

I would love to see TS at a game sometime, introduce himself to me and chat about hockey. I live for that stuff, because I love talking about and debating hockey.

ripped please! neither of us like watters at all but to say that pickering is in better hands with keith pandvski is a joke. youre making yourself sound as dumb as when sharpie blindly defends anything the central does.

right now the central could commit a crime and sharpie would defend them and pandovski could charge each kid 3-grand to play in pickering make the owners kid captain and win 1 game all season and youd say he was better than watters.

both of you take away your bias to whatever side you hold and actually type using your brains for a change. then we can have an honest informative debate on whatever we want to discuss in the league.

Ripped makes a positive comment about Pickering and all the Ajax Watters lovers come out of the woodwork. Come on guys, theres only so much one can lick a popsicle before it melts.


From the way pickering is building their team, I think people will be very surprised. Their process is far superior then both Ajax and Whitby. On Owners alone, Mr Porco is much more committed to building a winner then say a Mr Stein. No question. The problem with Pickering last year was the GM, not the owner.

TOM PLEASE! you know about my run ins with watters. im no fan or lover or kissing up or could care less.

is pickering better without him? yes 100%

do the pickering owners want to win? yes i think they do. from what my son says and what parents of players on the pickering team say the ownership group is a good group and want to build a winner. my sons says the boys are treated well in pickering.

pickering needed someone who could attract players not attract dollar bills. they should have got a pure hockey guy to be gm and if they really wanted a money man with a bad past and suspect colleagues then they got their man in pandovski.

ripped dont you dare call me a watters lover!

sharpie you want to meet ripped? I'm thinking about giving you in the introduction right now!

How is the Pnathers main camp going? Have they signed any players?