JR. COMETS COACHES HEADING BACK TO QUEBEC IN 2018
Mar 13, 2017The Syracuse Stars announced today that next year’s Pee-Wee Quebec Tournament team will be coached by Utica Jr. Comets coaches Robert Esche and Adam Pawlick. Esche and Pawlick, who coached this year’s team, will return to Quebec City in February of 2018 to compete in one of the largest youth hockey tournaments in the world. Esche, President of the Utica Comets, and Pawlick, both a Comets staff member and ex-professional hockey player, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the 2005 birth year program.
“It’s an honor to be able to coach a team at this tournament again,” said Esche. “I want to thank Don and the Stars for their faith and trust in me and for the opportunity to return to the tournament with the knowledge we learned this past year.” Esche, who partnered with Don Kirnan of the Syracuse Stars to organize this year’s team, is already looking forward to the tournament next year. “One thing we learned this year is how beneficial it is for these kids to start playing together at the beginning of the season, rather than just a couple of weeks before,” he recalled.
This past February, the Quebec Pee-Wee team was comprised of seven Utica Jr. Comets players, with the rest of the team made up of 2004 birth year players from other Pee-Wee teams in Central New York. With over 300 applicants and 150 teams ultimately selected to compete, this experience was the first of its kind for the players, with all of them remarking on the unbelievable experience and atmosphere both on and off the ice.
Esche has already begun rounding out the coaching staff, with the appointment of Patrice Robitaille. “Don, Adam, and I have a lot of respect for Patrice, who competed at Clarkson University as well as professionally. I feel he will bring a high hockey IQ and level of integrity to the team.” The Utica Jr. Comets are excited to continue and build upon their relationship with the Syracuse Stars and build a foundation for many years to come.
The Stars will be announcing tryout opportunities for the Quebec Pee Wee in the coming weeks.