So far, the Pembina Valley Twisters have had a season to forget. The Morris-based MMJHL is 2-13-1, good for last place in the league standings.
The Twisters played just once last week as they got whacked on Nov. 15 in a 7-1 loss to the St. James Jr. Canucks. Noah Slobozian had the Twisters’ lone goal, while a beleaguered Darion Penner stopped 52 shots in net for the loss.
On Nov. 16, the Twisters announced that John Mintenko would take over as the team’s general manager. The team’s press release stated, “John brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the Twisters, and we are confident that his vision will guide our team to new heights. With a deep-rooted passion for the game, John’s strategic approach aligns perfectly with our goals of fostering talent, building team unity, and achieving excellence on and off the ice.”
Twisters’ head coach, Braeden Beernaerts, was pleased with the hire and is happy to get the help to hopefully get his club back on the right track.
“John is a great addition to our team as he brings in a lot of knowledge and experience in the management position,” said Twisters’ head coach Braeden Beernaerts. “We look forward to working with him and working towards putting this team back at the top of the standings.”
The Twisters are back in action with a pair of games this week. First, they’re on the road to play the Stonewall Jets on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. Then, on Friday, Nov. 22, they’re on the road against the Charleswood Hawks; puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.
“In practice coming up, we’re just working on the simple things and defensive zone responsibilities,” said Beernaerts. “As a young team, it’s easy to stray away from that, especially when it’s all new. It takes time to gel, but I’m confident this group will overcome the start we’ve had.”
