Shayne Campbell on the job with the Stouffville Spirit Jr. A Hockey Team at the Stouffville Arena in August 2023.
Shayne Campbell says the transition to equipment manager of the Stouffville Spirit Jr. A Hockey Team has been mostly seamless.
“It’s pretty much the same thing,” said Campbell, who was a clubhouse manager with the Ottawa Titans professional baseball team this summer. “The cleats have been replaced by skates. One needs cleaning, the other sharpening.”
He’s passed all tests on the team’s skate sharpener, 11 days into training camp ahead of the Ontario Junior Hockey League season.
He’s already very familiar with two other tools of his trade: the club’s washer and dryer.
With the Titans, who play in the MLB Partner Frontier League, he would wash up to eight loads of laundry a day, servicing the home and visiting teams.
“I love sports,” said Campbell, who saw an opening for the Spirit job online. “But I’m more of a hockey guy.”
Campbell replaces Brad Sedore who retired last spring.
He knows his love for the Montreal Canadiens will not be popular in the GTA.
“To make the NHL would be the ultimate,” he said. “To watch hockey while getting paid would be great.”
Campbell, who turns 20 Aug. 28, is the same age as some of the Spirit players. He’s studying home inspection online through Algonquin College.
PRESEASON SCORES
The Spirit swept the St. Michael’s Buzzers in a pair of exhibition games last weekend.
The team has four preseason games, including home tilts Aug. 24 (Haliburton County) and 31 (Aurora). Game time both nights is 7:30 p.m. at the Stouffville Arena.
The Spirit opens the OJHL regular season Sept. 8 in Aurora. The same teams meet the next night in Stouffville.
STOUFFVILLE STAFF
Randy Smith, who is recovering from hip replacement surgery, returns as the Spirit’s Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Tiffany Phan-Chu is back for a second season as Athletic Therapist.
On the hockey staff side, Ken Burrows doubles as team Governor and General Manager. Thayne Hallyburton is Assistant GM.
Former NHL player and coach, Keith Acton is the team’s Director of Player Development.
Max Saegert is Head Scout and Scott Van Trigt is the Spirit’s mid-western Ontario scout.
Game night staff include: Reesa Corneau, Lorna Burrows, Jim Mason, Wayne Jones, Ed Matthews, Danny Burnett, James Lattimore and members of the Stouffville Lions Club
All Spirit games are broadcast on FloHockey.tv (formerly Hockey TV). Jason Rehel does play-by-play. Video is shot by Ocean Fog Productions.
