CJAHL Announces General Manager and Head Coach For Team Canada East

The CJAHL in partnership with Hockey Canada announced today the two individuals who will perform the roles of General Manager and Head Coach for Team Canada East at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge.

Team Canada East stated that they have appointed Marty Abrams from the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL), as their General Manager.

"Marty did a tremendous job with Team Canada East at this event the last two years," declared the CJAHL Representative for Team Canada East, Brent Ladds. "As an Assistant Coach in 2006 and as a General Manager in 2007, his leadership skills and determination led Team Canada East to an appearance in the gold medal final for two consecutive years. We are optimistic that he has the knowledge and experience to lead the team to a gold medal finish this November."

Abrams, as the Head Coach and General Manager Wellington Dukes has amassed a 342-91-30-13 record during his 7 seasons with the Dukes and led his team to their second consecutive Eastern Conference Championship this season.

Team Canada East also announced today that they have appointed Mark Grady from the Cumberland Grads of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL), as the team’s head coach.
"Mark Grady is an excellent coach who showed that he has the right combination of character and commitment to lead this team at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge," admitted Brent Ladds. "Mark did a great job last season as an assistant coach for Team Canada East. We have no doubt that he will use his experience gained from last year’s event, and will translate that into a winning formula to take the team to top."

Grady, as the Head Coach / General Manager of the Cumberland Grads, led his team to the top of the Robinson Divison this season in the competitive CJHL.

The 2008 World Junior A Challenge will take place from November 1st to 9th in Camrose, Alberta. Canada will look to continue its tremendous success at the event, as Team Canada East played Team Canada West in the championship finals of the 2006 and 2007 World Junior A Challenge events, winning silver and gold medals respectively in back-to-back years.

Team Canada East and West will be making the announcement of their respective Assistant Coaches in the not too distant future. Please stay tuned to www.cjahl.com for more details.
The CJAHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJAHL can be found by clicking on the league website.





Dale West
Assistant General Manager
Collingwood Blues Jr "A"
Hockey Club

We are not allowed to comment/discuss/opinionate/ a certain person from the East divison who was named GM of Team Canada East.

That would be the answer Dale.

This will soon be deleted as well.

I actually asked that it be locked so that it didn't become a bashing of a team and it's personnel. Feel free to discuss it in another thread though.

i have to ask...

why so sensitive ?

* Believe in those that seek the truth *
Doubt those whom have found it

I didn't want my thread of something good turning into something bad because whenever people get a chance to take a jab at MA or the Dukes they do, that's all really. Especially with the situation that recently happened, I thought it would be best.

happens to every team duker. lose the thin skin. go down the list of teams that do well and make announcements about their successes and you will see a bunch of wanna-be's try to tear it down. success breeds contempt.

if your team and coach arent up to the scrutiny of the public eye and commentary then get out of the game you dont belong in it.

put out the good things that happen its good for everyone. some will attack, criticise and condemn. that's called public opinion. some of it maybe be warranted, some may just be plain envy. fear of criticism just shows how transparent the personality of the organization can be.

things may be bigger and more professional sometime in the future. you really have to learn to not try and squelch criticisms. that's what happens in totalitarian states. free speech is so chilled and far removed that liberty and freedom begins to die away. the state does it with laws and regulations. private sectors do it with the threat of the lawsuit sword falling on your head.

speak out - speak often - speak well

$$PM87$$

....you are a joke

Cash, opinions are like ********, everyone has one and most of the time they stink. Give it up. It was good news and most of the people on this forum would have taken the topic off track into something bad. Forgive me for trying to shed positive light on this league.

You should know about **********. You are just pissed off because we know the truth. I'll never understand how you guys always come out smelling like roses. Like you said ...that is not what I smell.

You know what they say, the hardest part about being ontop of the mountain is that everyone is always trying to knock you off.

Now that Abrams has been appointed GM of next year's Team Canada East team, we all know now what the net end result of the any inquiry into the Wellington bus fiasco will be.

How can the OPJHL or the OHA take disciplinary action against someone, or the organization that he represents, after you have just appointed him to be GM of a Team that will be representing Canada in the World Junior "A" Tournament.

Get out the broom and the rug everyone, the net result of any inquiry into this whole affair will be a BIG NOTHING.

It's too bad when politics enters in to determine the outcome of a very serious matter.

i guess oha must be re-writting there alcohol policy! i'm sure we will hear, perception,slander, lawsuit, becareful what u say... is anybody tired of the double standard?! i feel sorry for teams in the east....8 teams work hard and one gets every break possible! i hear there are teamS in the east that are looking to relocate! port hope ownership must be up in arms going wtf is going on here due to fact of what they went thru during there ordeal two years ago! CAN U SAY STOCKHOLM SYNDROME!!!!

kimmbo99 give it up buddy . tell me mr. know it all which team in the east is looking to relocate.

You are on top alright..............on top of a big pile of bull----. Thanks SMC...you said it all.

It is very hard to believe that someone would post something on a discussion forum and not want it discussed. That, frankly, is pretty stupid. If you want to tell people about this, duker, without anyone being able to respond, send out a press release.

It is equally hard to believe that whoever locked the thread actually went along with it.

Whatever I totally agree...
put a topic on a public discussion board then LOCK IT ?? WTF ?... talk about your censorship and control issues...shame shame

Duker...if you don't want it discussed keep it to yourself...don't post sensative issues on a www. forum that is accessed en masse. Just post it as a NEWS RELEASE on another appropriate forum else where if you don't want discussion... and Wex and co....why would you drink the kool-aid and LOCK it ? tsk tsk... (I think I might now drink Tony T's kool-aid). I mean if it got rough and nasty you'd simply edit responses as you do anyways(as needed).

I felt that the whole incident as reported in the newspaper would at the very least deserve a response from either the team management (other than the river "denial") or a statement from the OPJAHL that would conclude their findings and investigations etc ...or was that whole newspaper article BS and were credible people just seeing things ?... Saying nothing on all sides....says a lot...
ummmm, HURRY HARDDDDD....sweep sweep.

I rest my case (of 2-4)

How dumb are you guys ?

Let me be the first to tell you ...

You are discussing it !

Go ahead, knock yourselves out.


And I locked it.







Go Raptors !
Go Jays !


WEXDOG
09,11,01
Lest We Forget
11,11,11

I agree with SMC about the swept under the rug. But he seems to forget his coach pulling his team off the ice at the ref's tournament. Which in the rulebook is a one year suspension. If i remeber quickly there was no suspension in fact i believe he had a choice of 10 games or a fine. HMMMM wonder if politics had anything to do with that. Maybe that he is a partner with Mr. Ladds and the fact he was the coach of Canada East. SMC seems to forget all about that one.

There is alot of Truth with this discussion. Some people are treated differently than others. If you break the rules then you should get suspended. End of story. I was at the referee tourney and watched JD try to appolize and turn a wrong into a right. I guess it worked for him. As far as MA in Duke land goes its to bad because they have a great organization but rules are rules.

One of the problems at the ref's tournament where JD was suspended and fined, was that JD's team dressing room was 5 mins away in another rink and the walk to the Arena that they were playing in was very long. They were the only team to dress in the other rink. What happened was they did not hear the ref's whistle or buzzer indicating the period was starting and no one went to the dressing room to let them know (probably too far away). By the time they realized and arrived at the rink, the ref gave them a 2 min delay of game penalty that JD obviously didn't think they warranted due to the dressing room situation, and made his feelings known to the rookie ref. I'm sure that the OHA took these circumstances into consideration when deciding on the punishment.

Compared to the Wellington bus situation, I would say that the above happening was "Mary Poppins" in comparison.

this issue is black and white... if there was drinking and the staff was aware and a part of it they should be held ACCOUNTABLE! the former prime minister is being held accountable for making some extra cash and not claiming it, he is now being held accountable for that! nobody is above the law! no team in the oha is also above the law! minors drinking is against the law! why is this about someone out to get this team...it's about the right thing! and yes it might be the first offence for this team but it is still a mistake. i would find it hard to believe oha would sweep this under the rug!

I agree "kimbo", but how do you prosecute or take severe action against someone who you just appointed as General Manager of the team representing your country at an International World Junior hockey tournament hosted in Canada??

I sincerely think that we will not hear another thing about the incident from the OPJHL, OHA or Hockey Canada and if any action is taken, it will not be made public. MA will stay on as GM of Team Canada East and will be back as coach of the Dukes next season. It will all be forgotten in a month.

Sad, but true.

correct meif i am wrong smc 57... i think it is called stockholm syndrome and it answers your question of how this fella gets promoted!

What a pair of clowns.Did you ever stop and think that the situation was looked into,dealt with and concluded already.I guess you two weren't on the mailing list but then again why would you be. LOL

I have just had the chance to read this thread but maybe Dukester you could mention on how you know the thing is settled and what the outcome was.

I am far from a Duke fan but they have a great organization. However, what if this was another team in this situation, then what would the outcome have been?

I believe in a fair playing field, but if this does get swept under the carpet. What kind of point is the league trying to make?

Who said anything about sweeping or a rug? You are not going to get the dirt you want or hope for.Move on. I'm moving out of here again as I can't believe the stupid comments. Did you expect an announcement on whether there was any wrong doing or no wrong doing? I would expect not if it does not involve you directly. Geez!!! You folks just don't get it. To continue this can have no other reason than to try to inflict harm on a class organization. (GWE)

Go ahead and move on, Dukester. I think I 'll stick around and "wait for the dirt." I am just curious to see if there will be any discipline handed out to the Duke's, like there would be if it were any other team in the league.

Yes I would expect a result to be published, hell was the punishment that Port Hope published?

The league can't keep protecting the same people all the time, sooner or later the s**t has to and will hit the fan.

I am waiting to hear what the result of the investigation is from the league.

You are right. The dressing room was at the other rink but if you were assesed a pen. then suck it up and serve it. If anybody else would of taken the same action as JD did they would of been suspended for a year. So defend his mistake but it doesnt make it correct. The drinking is a far worst situation as far as I am concern and he too should be suspended for the year.

Nice smoke screen Dukester, Fact remains, someone broke some laws, and they have to answer for it. You were first in line to kick PH in the teeth 2 years ago.And you wouldn't let it go, and Wexdog didn't lock anything up for us??

I wonder if Rob Tripp (Whig-Standard Police Reporter) author of the news article, is going to do a follow up article...I mean, did he get it all wrong ?


I'd prefer to hear from him rather than Dukester's "unbiased" reports.