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Get on the band wagon, folks
Regular fans of the Uxbridge Bruins – the fans who show up at the arena every Friday night – already have their favourite seats picked out for the OHA Junior C Central Division playoffs. They know they are in for some exciting, well-played hockey: it's what they have been treated to all season long.
Now it's time for a lot of other people to discover what they've been missing, particularly if they are hockey fans who have the misfortune to be rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs or Ottawa Senators. In the Bruins, they'll find a winning team, consisting of a lot of local lads, who play fast, physical, skillful hockey just a matter of feet away from the remotest seat in the arena.
The regular season, which ended on Sunday with the Bruins defeating their long-time Reach Street rivals, the Port Perry MoJacks, was the third in a row that the Uxbridge squad has finished atop the division. It was a season that saw the Bruins post a 12-game winning streak and captain Derek Davis win the scoring title, but it also saw star forward Kyle Northover sidelined for many weeks by a serious injury, and a Christmas slump as the team battled through numerous injuries and illnesses.
They survived the slumps and refused to become too cocky with the successes, all under the guidance of first-year coach and general manager Matt Muir. Muir came onto the scene with little time to prepare before the season opened, but rose to the challenge marvellously. It's not easy for someone to replace another coach who is well-liked by his players and had led them to winning seasons. And Muir knew that there were mutterings and rumblings of discontent about his hiring after former coach Dan West was unable to come to terms with the organization. But Muir, despite the added pressure of being a brand new father, quickly gained the respect of the Bruins.
It's not just the coach and the players who make Bruins hockey a worthwhile destination on Friday nights. The whole organization is one of the best in the Central Division. Visitors to the games are made to feel welcome and regular fans feel like they are part of the Bruins family.
The community benefits from the Bruins, as well. A number of local charities and service organizations have received donations from the club and recognition at the home games. And it's always interesting to see what club, organization or even business is going to be featured in the lobby on game night.
The Bruins, perhaps because of the way they run their games as well as the fact that they are winners, attract more fans to their games than the other teams in the division. But with the playoffs looming, they need more people in the seats cheering for them. Anyone who has been there will tell you that they perform better when there's a crowd behind them: the bigger the better.
We believe they are going to perform better, anyway. After being knocked out of the playoffs last year, the Bruins will be looking for redemption and a chance to move even farther into inter-divisional play. That will only come if they continue to play as well as they have demonstrated they can during the season. More fans will encourage them along that route.
So, if you want to see brilliant passing plays by the Derek Davis-Scott Van Allen-Evan Haga line or stellar goalkeeping by Chris Seiler and Stefan Melnychuk or the solid defensive moves of Mike McDonald and Callum Lynch, the Uxbridge Arena is the place to be on Friday nights beginning Feb. 18. And Go, Bruins!
