Team Preview: RHS boys’ hockey

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team has been used to success on the ice the last several years — with double-digit wins and at least one WIAA tournament win in each of the past six seasons. However the 2023-24 season figures to be a learning experience for a relatively young group.

While the team returns a number of pieces from a squad that went 18-6-0 last year, finished third in the Great Northern Conference and reached the sectional semifinals, depth appears to be a question mark at the start of the season and something the team will continually work to develop as the season goes along, according to coach M.J. Laggis.

“I’m going to learn a lot about myself too, about being more patient, about being a really good coach and trying to bring guys along,” he said. “It’s not what you’re like in November, it’s what you’re like in February. It’s going to be a work in progress and we’re not going to quit. We’re not going to get negative. We’re just going to work hard, correct mistakes and try to improve our skills the whole way through.” 

The Hodags do bring back some key pieces, in particular up front. Rhinelander’s top line will be led by senior Joey Belanger, who led the squad with 28 goals and 54 total points last year. He’ll be joined on the top line by fellow senior Gavin Denis (12 goals-17 assists) and junior Zach Edyvean (4-6). It’s a group Laggis said could be one of the better lines in the GNC this season.

“Gavin Denis has made huge strides in the offseason. He’s gotten a whole other level faster than last year,” he said. “Joey’s got really good hands and one of the quicker releases I’ve ever been around. I’m not sure, honestly, if I’ve had a guy that can release the puck that quick on a shot. He’s really good. Then Zach Edyvean, he’s grown another half a foot, is stronger and handling the puck and playing really confidently. That’s a really good line.”

Rhinelander’s biggest question mark going into the season comes on the blue line. The team graduated a pair of all-conference defensemen from last year in Sam Schneider and Layne Roeser, along with Cody Everson. Dalton Fritz (2-4) is the lone defenseman back who saw considerable varsity shifts a season ago. Behind him, a number of players are jockeying for ice time — including Riley Squires, Gabe Kennedy, Logan Leonard, Nathan Cordy and Dylan Shefveland.

“Losing Cody, Sam and Layne, that’s just the heart and soul. Dalton’s fast and confident back there right now, as you’d expect,” he said. “After that, we’re trying to get everyone up to speed. We’re going to play them. They’re going to make mistakes, we’re going to coach them and just try to keep getting better.”

Rhinelander’s front line depth took a hit after graduating all-conference center Leo Losch along with forwards AJ Turek and Finn Tulowitzky. The Hodags return their third line from last year, comprised of juniors Timber Cronauer (1-0) and Karter Massey (0-1) and sophomore Levi Forster (0-1). They will be called upon to step up as the Hodags’ second offensive unit this year. 

“I really like Levi Forster’s energy, I love how Timber plays and Karter Massey is right there. I think we can really make a formidable line out of that,” Laggis said.

Tyler Kimmerling returns for his senior season and enters as the incumbent at goaltender. He went 11-4-0 with a .882 save percentage and a 2.81 goals against average a year ago. Freshman Asher Rivord comes in as the team’s other netminder and Laggis said both will likely be called upon to stand tall at some point during the season, especially considering the team’s inexperience at defense.

“Tyler’s got all the experience and that’s great. He’s our man heading into it,” he said. “Asher Rivord’s our other goalie and he has played really well in practice and competed really hard. I’m really pleased with where he’s at as a freshman. We’re just going to keep working hard all year. That position’s got to be solid for us because we’re going to see some shots at times, there’s no doubt about it. We’re inexperienced, defensively and we’re going to see some rubber. So that position’s got to be solid.”

The Hodags open with a difficult stretch of games this week. After facing Shawano/Bonduel tonight in the opener at the Rhinelander Ice Arena, the team will head to Amery this weekend to face the hosting Warriors, a perennial contender in Division 2, along with St. Paul Johnson (Minn.). 

“We are going to learn a lot about ourselves,” Laggis said of the opening stretch.

Rhinelander begins Great Northern Conference play at Tomahawk Nov. 30. The Hatchets, who have seen success at the Peewee and Bantam levels over the last several years, figure to be primed to step up and go toe-to-toe with Lakeland and Mosinee. One of those two programs has represented the GNC at the WIAA state tournament each of the last three years. 

“I see those as the top three — Tomahawk, Mosinee and Lakeland. I’m not sure what order, but Tomahawk’s gonna be right there,” he said. “After that, I think it’s a free-for-all. I think Pines is OK, we’re OK, Antigo’s OK. You’ve got a lot of teams right in that realm. That goes back to my idea that the team that improves the most will be the team that makes the biggest gains down the stretch and try to close the gap on some of those teams.” 

Simley scrimmage

The Hodags had a chance for a dress rehearsal on Friday afternoon as Simley, Minn. came over for a scrimmage. Depth showed through for the Spartans as they scored eight times in the fourth of four 25-minute runtime sessions and took the scrimmage 12-2, according to unofficial numbers kept by the River News. 

Smiley, with its large numbers, skated one group of players during the first two sessions and an entirely different group during the last two. Fatigue became a factor for Rhinelander late.

“We competed well, I think, in the first two sessions when we were on fresh legs to their fresh legs,” said assistant coach Wil Losch, who ran the bench Friday with Laggis away due to a pre-planned commitment. “You could definitely see it in that third and fourth period where it got away from us. They moved the puck real well and the exposed that if we didn’t have an off winger covering in front of the net on those last two goals. They were carbon-copy plays.”

Belanger facilitated both of Rhinelander’s goals in the scrimmage. He worked a 2-on-1 that Denis finished on the opening shift of the third session. He later fed Cronauer for a one-timer in the slot that Cronauer scored top shelf.

“I think we had some moments where the forechecking looked all right, guys getting in there hard,” Losch said. “I thought we had moments where our breakout and our neutral zone passing, in particular Gavin’s line, looked well doing that.”

Simley led 1-0 after the first session, 2-0 after the second session and 4-2 after the third. 

Rhinelander split its goalies equally during each session. Kimmerling unofficially made 19 saves in 26 chances while Rivord stopped 17 pucks in 22 chances. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent    Time

11/21    SHAWANO    7 p.m.

11/24    at Amery    7 p.m.

11/25    St. Paul Johnson (Minn.)  at Amery    Noon

11/30    at Tomahawk*    7 p.m.

12/5    at Pacelli    7 p.m.

12/8    WAUPACA*    7 p.m.

12/14    NORTHLAND PINES*    7 p.m.

12/16    at Oshkosh    5 p.m.

12/21    at Marshfield    7 p.m.

1/4    at Medford*    7 p.m.

1/9    D.C. EVEREST    7 p.m.

1/11    MOSINEE*    7 p.m.

1/12    Jeffers, Mich. (at Merrill)    6 p.m.

1/13    TBD (at Merrill)    TBD

1/16    at Kingsford, Mich.    6 p.m.

1/23    ANTIGO*    7 p.m.

1/25    at Lakeland*    7 p.m.

1/30    GNC Round 1*    7 p.m.

2/1    at Shawano    7 p.m.

2/3    ASHLAND    3 p.m.

2/6    GNC Round 2*    7 p.m.

2/10    GNC Round 3* (at Mosinee)    TBD

2/15    WIAA Regionals    TBD

* Conference games | HOME GAMES IN CAPS