Guelph Storm coach Jarrod Skalde admits that right now things are tough all over.
"It's tough for everybody right now, tough on the players, tough on the coaches, tough on the organization and tough on the fans that come every night," said Skalde after the team's latest setback Sunday, a 6-2 defeat to the London Knights in front of 4,601 at the Sleeman Centre.
It was
"You can't cheerlead all the time, you want to stay positive but you see things you don't like and you have to stay on top of those and correct them ... this stuff can't carry on to the next year, these guys have to understand that stuff isn't acceptable and we want to develop good habits and have good habits continue."
Everybody on the Guelph Storm is playing, and coaching, for next year.
Out of the playoffs and now down to four games remaining in the season, eyes are on the future. Or should be.
"That's been the message for a while here, the evaluation for jobs next year, ice time this year and ice time next year. All that stuff," said Skalde.
"The whole process of evaluation continues, even if the score is 5-1 or whatever the score is or whatever the game is."
Skalde has a year left on his contract. He said with a new general manager on the horizon, no one knows what the future holds.
"Our job is to prepare the players and develop them ... all that stuff will take care of itself," he said about his future.
Sunday's game was a microcosm of most of the Storm's games this season.
They came out with plenty of energy, but careless turnovers by the forwards, average goaltending and poor defensive zone coverage by everyone saw them out of it by early in the second period.
It was 2-1 after the first period, but
Givani Smith, with his team-best 26th, and Nate Schnarr had the Storm's goals.
Liam Herbst went all the way in net for the Storm.
Next weekend wraps it up with
