The Timmins Rock have acquired forward Lucas Piekarczyk from the SIJHL’s Red Lake Miners in exchange for a player development fee. He is the fourth member of the defending SIJHL champions to join the Rock. SUBMITTED PHOTO
On the eve of the opening of the 2022-23 NOJHL regular season, the Timmins Rock acquired a fourth member of the defending Superior International Junior Hockey League-champion Red Lake Miners.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Right-shooting forward Lucas Piekarczyk (regular season: 30, 14-12-26, 16; playoffs: 7, 0-2-2, 4)will be reunited with forwards Brady Harroun and Ethan Pool, as well as blue-liner Kenyan Nyman.
Like the other three ex-Miners, Piekarczyk is in the final year of his Junior ‘A’ eligibility and looking forward to finishing with a Centennial Cup title.
“He is going to come in and add some offence to our lineup,” said Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry.
“He will give us more depth at the forward position. He is a (soon-to-be) 20-year-old player who averaged close to a point a game last year.
“He battled through some injuries last year, so his numbers could have been a little better than they were, but still he was close to a point-a-game player.
“Those are the kind of guys you can’t ignore.”
Perry expects Piekarczyk’s skill and experience to translate well to a Rock lineup built with one goal in mind: Win the NOJHL championship this season.
“We will see how it looks and works out here early on, but that’s the biggest thing with these guys,” he said.
“They have been to the Centennial Cup and they know what it takes to get there.
“They are winners and that’s what we want to try and accomplish.
“Just like the first three we acquired, Lucas asked to be traded to Timmins.
“That’s a big thing, right off the bat, they want to be part of our program.”
At various times last season, Piekarczyk played with Harroun and/or Pool, but that does not mean he will line up with either once the puck drops on the regular season.
“He was kind of all over the lineup last year, but he comes highly recommended from the people I have talked to an obviously the guys who are here now, their opinion matters a lot to us,” Perry said.
“They all say he is a player and an incredible kid, has the character we want here.”
A product of Salmon Arm, B.C., Piekarczyk spent just the one season with the Miners, after briefly suiting up for the KIJHL’s North Okanagan Knights (3, 0-0-0, 0) during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign.
At 5-9, 163 pounds, Piekarczyk certainly won’t be the biggest forward in the Rock lineup.
Asked if there is a current or former Rock player fans might see similarities to in Piekarczyk’s game, his new coach didn’t hesitate.
“Harry Clark,” Perry said, pointing to the former Rock player who was with the team for the Cottage Cup exhibition tournament before returning to Ottawa to resume his schooling.
“Harry was an incredible talent and obviously those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Lucas is a smaller, skilled forward and they are both right-hand shots, so that’s a good comparison.
“They are both excellent players in their own ways and obviously we wish Harry could have stayed with us for another season but Lucas is going to give us some offence up front.”
It is interesting to note this is the first trade between Perry and his former Timmins Majors assistant coach Kevin Walker since the latter took over as coach and general manager of the Miners.
“It was easy to make this transaction,” he said.
“The kid asked for the trade to Timmins, so he had no hard feelings.
“If guys don’t want to be part of his program, he is going to put his own stamp on things.
“Guys who want to leave, he is going to find places for them to play.”
The arrival of Piekarczyk brings the Rock roster up to the 25-player limit, but Perry noted the plan is to get back down to 23 players in the not-so-distant future.
“We will be moving two players, but they haven’t been done yet,” Perry said.
“We are just waiting on the players to tell me where they want to go. They each have a couple of options.”
The coach indicated there is a “good chance” Piekarczyk will be in the lineup for both halves of the Rock’s home-and-home series with the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners to open the 2022-23 NOJHL regular season.
The two East Division rivals are scheduled to face off against each other at the McIntyre Arena on Friday, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex on Saturday, at 7 p.m.
