Hockey / Pat's Joslin named OJHL Exec of the Year

Pat's Joslin named OJHL Exec of the Year

Date:  Source: OJHL Toronto Patriots

(article courtesy OJHL Website)

 

Mark Joslin was “overwhelmed” when he learned he had been named 2017-18 executive of the year in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. (Photo by Shawn Muir / OJHL Images)

“It means a lot to me; I got emotional,” he said after receiving the congratulatory call from OJHL director of hockey operations Chris Vanstone this morning. “To be recognized by your peers around this league, it’s really something.”

Joslin earned it.

The Richmond Hill native is in his second year as general manager of the Toronto Patriots.

The Pats went 40-8-3-3 in 2017-18 to capture the inaugural Brant Snow Memorial Trophy as OJHL regular season champions.

Ranked in or around the top 10 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League weekly rankings all season, they finished rated sixth in the 132-team CJHL.

A big key was Joslin’s hiring of John Dean, a former assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion, as head coach last summer. Dean and Joslin worked together in North York of the OJHL.

“John and I had a trust factor, a chemistry,” said Joslin. “And Manny (Mounouchos, team owner and governor) trusted us. He gave me a budget and we stuck to it.”

More chemistry classes?

“Every one of the young men we brought in during this year bought in,” said Joslin, 53. “The personalities all fit. We’ve got … guys who were on the first line with their old team playing on our third line. And they’re smiling. It’s all part of wanting to be in a winning culture.”

“All good teammates. All of them.”

The Patriots swept the Orangeville Flyers in the first round of the OJHL playoffs. They won Game 1 of their second-round series with Oakville. The series resumes tonight.

Six Patriots have committed to NCAA Division 1 or 3 schools.

“It doesn’t happen every year,” said Joslin.

He knows.

Joslin, who played Jr. A for the Newmarket Flyers, was an assistant coach with the Aurora Tigers in 2007, when they won their second RBC Cup national championship in four years.

Between then and now, he’s been a head coach and/or general manager with the OJHL franchises in Pickering, Stouffville, North York and, again, Aurora.

He founded Joslin Elite Hockey Training in 2003. Joslin’s also worked at The Hill Academy, PEAC, the Nikolai Borschevsky Hockey School and Pickering College.

Regrets? His father, David – “my biggest fan” – passed away in 2016. David Joslin proudly wore one of his son’s hockey jackets everywhere.

They couldn’t share the good news.

“But I called my Mom (Judy) today and she told me how proud he’d be,” said Joslin.