“Rohrer Revitalized as 67ers Gear Up for Home Weekend Series Against Gatineau”
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Vinzenz Rohrer finished Tuesday’s practice shirtless for the Ottawa 67s and was quick to illustrate the finer points of shooting. Rohrer has had a tough season with two injuries but is finding his form in preparation for this weekend’s games against Gatineau Olympiques. Photo by Ken Warren/POSTMEDIA
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Vinzenz Rohrer has historically been one of the last players off the ice, but the conclusion of Tuesday morning’s practice session with the Ottawa 67’s painted a whole new picture.
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There was Rohrer, the 18-year-old Austrian center of 67, stripped to his shoulder pads at TD Place to quickly show teammate Will Gerrior the intricacies of shooting.
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“You’re probably going to ask why I’m not wearing a jersey,” he said, laughing. “(Gerrior) asked me how I do certain things on one-timers. It’s just that it’s easier to see where your arms are going when you’re not wearing your jersey. It’s a different angle to see you flex your arm more. So this is the reason.”
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Needless to say, anyone associated with the ’67ers breathes a sigh of relief when they see Rohrer fully committed on the ice.
After being pulled off the ice on a stretcher after a nasty collision on open ice in a game against the Kingston Frontenacs on Jan. 11, there were major concerns about how long Rohrer might stay away from the game.
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He finally returned on January 27th and feels he is gradually working his way back up to peak form. Last weekend he scored two goals, including Friday’s overtime winner in Flint as the 67ers (35-9-2-2) won a three-game road trip that also included stops in Saginaw and Sarnia.
Rohrer, who was drafted 75th overall by the Montreal Canadiens last summer, has 15 goals and 22 assists in 34 games. The season also included an unusual injury in September when he got a puck to his face, preventing him from attending training camp with the Canadiens.
“The last game was really good, the best game for sure,” he said. “Sometimes you underestimate the time it takes to get back into the game after an injury. I thought, “I feel healthy, why can’t I just play like I used to?”. That’s definitely frustrating too.”
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It takes time to get a feel for live action again.
“Physically, I felt really good three days after (the blow). But how fast the game is, that’s the point where you realize: “Wow, we’re playing really good ice hockey here”. You must be mentally busy. It comes with practice and games, and if you lose that for two to three weeks, you’re always kind of done not practicing with the group.
With three more games to play in three days – a home-and-home rivalry series against Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL on Thursday and Saturday and a contest against Niagara at TD Place on Friday – 67 coach Dave Cameron needs everyone to move forward to improve.
He realizes what Rohrer is going through.
“He’s resilient,” Cameron said. “He’s rehab really hard. Every time you miss a long time, you have to catch up. If you miss the time, you lose your execution at game pace.”
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In the second half of the 2021-22 season, Rohrer upped his game as part of a young ’67 team that was surprisingly competitive on track. The stakes and expectations are different this time, as the 67ers have a shot at the Ontario Hockey League title and a Memorial Cup berth at the top.
The weekend games against Gatineau—the only interleague games between the OHL and QMJHL—should set the spark. The Olympiques (31-12-4-2) also have their own plans for an extended playoff run.
The clubs have not played each other since 2019 and there is a bit of a mystery as to what could happen due to the unknowns. When Cameron served as head coach of the 2022 world youth team, Olympiques coach Louis Robaille served as assistant coach.
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“It’s an emotional uplift because there’s a buzz,” Cameron said. “It’s a rivalry that is built upon when the Ottawa and Gatineau teams have played. It’s close because they’re both really good teams this year and there’s always debate about which league is better.”
67’s number one goalkeeper Max Donoso admits pre-match will be different.
“We don’t know much about them,” said Donoso, who has a 24-7-2 record, 2.55 goals against average and 0.906 save percent. “I know some of the guys are going to go to the (Gatineau) vs Halifax (Wednesday) game just to scout them out ahead of time, but for that we have coaches to see what they’re about.”
HOME SWEET SECOND HOME: There will be an added bonus for the 67ers when they play at Gatineau’s new Slush Puppie Center on Saturday. It’s an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the arena where the ’67ers will open the playoffs. Due to the World Curling Championships at TD Place April 1-9, the 67ers will be kicked out of their own building. The 67ers are playing their first, second and possibly third postseason game at the Slush Puppie Center, but if there is a seventh game in an opening round series, the 67ers would be back at TD Place.
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Source: ottawasun.com
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