The Port Moody Panthers are firing up the 2016-’17 season with a new boss behind the bench.
Mike Renner is taking over as interim head coach after the team relieved Mark Goble of his duties earlier this week after only six months on the job.
“At this time, we have decided to make a change in the direction of our team,” said Panthers general manager Frank Iantorno in a brief statement Tuesday.
Goble took the reins last April and was with the club as it put together its roster in the off-season. He had previously led the Coquitlam Minoe Hockey pee wee A1 squad and midget teams between 2013-’16.
The coaching change is not the only shakeup in the Cats’ organization.
On Thursday, the club announced it had acquired Cole Williams from the Surrey Knits in exchange for Ryan Spencer and future considerations.
Williams has 71 junior ‘A’ games under his belt, where he played with the Langley Rivermen in the BCHL and the Notre Dame Hounds in the SJHL. The 19-year-old started the season with the Trail Smoke Eaters before being released this week.
The team has also named forwards Sam Bodnaruk and Cole Iantorno alternate captains for the season, along with defencemen Alex McGovern and Stefano Centanni.
The season got off to a shaky start on Saturday for the Cats, when the club fell to the Ridge Meadows Flames in their season home opener.
The visitors jumped out to an early lead thanks to goals from Brandon Galbraith and a power play marker from Bradley Crompton to go up 2-0 heading into the first intermission. Later, Bodnaruk’s unassisted tally put the Panthers within striking distance, however hopes of tying things up quickly were dashed when Andrew Strelezki scored for the Flames 30 seconds later.
A power play goal from Cole Iantorno, who was named third star of the game, in the third period rounded out the scoring as the club suffered its first loss of the season.
Things went better for Port Moody the next night on the road, when they took on the Grandview Steelers at the Burnaby Winter Club.
An early goal from Kyle Nichols assisted by Keito Lee put the Cats up 1-0 and they re-took the lead in the second period when Trey Cadwell netted a goal on the power play.
However, Steelers’ forward Christian Bettiol tied things up in the third and it took an overtime marker from Lucian Serban to help the Panthers notch their first win of the season.
The club will look to improve on their 1-1 record on Saturday when they host the Delta Ice Hawks at the Port Moody Arena. Puck drop is at 7:45 p.m.
For more information go to www.portmoodypanthers.com.
@TriCityNews
