A staple of the Whalers Junior Hockey program has been their 8-week, 5-days a week skills and team development summer regiment.

"This componet of our junior program has been a major reason for the success of our teams in the past. When the nucleus of a team has that much time on the ice, the team chemistry is only going to grow stronger," stated Whalers General Manager and MET League head coach, Tom Winkler. Along with the team building, individual skill development is also a priority. "We divide the day into two sessions, the first session is geared toward the overall development of individual skill sets. With as much ice as we have, we can really focus on power skating strides and techniques, stick skills and shooting fundamentals. It is unreal how quickly these kids advance through this program," stated Winkler.

The Whalers MET-B team will travel to Boston this weekend to participate in the prestigious, Chowder Cup summer tournament. Coach Winkler is excited with the opportunity to see how his team is shaping up. "With a tournament like this, you really have no idea who you are going to be playing against. I like how we have prepared and I am anxious to see how some of our new players perform,"said the coach. The Whalers have a solid core of returning players such as Mat Culcasi, Gerald Owen, Lee Jenkins, Dylan Woods, Matt Gross, Mike Swiderski, Matt Adams, John Davies, and Chris Miracle. Coach Winkler uses adjectives such as: character, leaders, driven, and passionate when he talks about this group of players. "These guys have been through the battles and they know what it takes to get the job done," said Winkler.

The Whalers Schedule at the Chowder Cup is:

Thursday, July 22

3:30pm Vs Canadian Future Pros

10:00pm Vs Wildcats Elite

Friday, July 23

1:40pm Vs CJ Reps

Saturday, July 24

Vs Seacoast Saints

Sunday, July 25

TBD

The Chowder Cup website is: www.proamhockey.com