Ken Peroff admits he does not get home to North Bay much anymore since his parents moved away from North Bay.
However, the assistant coach of the Guelph Storm certainly felt a special moment when the team visited North Bay at the end of January.
"It is awesome, I did a lap here in the rink and there are still a lot of familiar sights and sounds; the people that I have met. Even driving into the city a lot of memories come back," recalled Peroff in an interview with BayToday's Scott Walpole after a 4-3 Storm win over the Battalion on January 30.
Peroff has double memories returning to the North Bay Memorial Gardens both as a player during his hockey days growing up in North Bay as well as coaching against the team that he played for in the OHL from 2006 to 2010, the Brampton Battalion.
"I do not come back very often but I have experienced this rink in so many ways as a kid playing minor hockey," reflected Peroff, who grew up in Chisholm Township.
"I remember coming out on the ice for East-West, high school hockey, I remember playing for the Skyhawks, at CIS and now I am an OHL assistant coach. It is a lot of fun, that along with playing my old team too so it is ironic seeing a lot of those faces too."
The 30-year-old has already built up an impressive resume in less than three years of coaching junior hockey.
In 2018-19, Peroff steered the Kilty B’s to a 35-12-1-0 record. In 2017-18, the franchise posted a record of 38-10-1-1 while still located in Ancaster.
Following both seasons, Peroff was named Coach of the Year in the Golden Horseshoe Conference.
"I learned so much and it is such a good experience," said Peroff about his time coaching Junior B.
"A lot of things come your way that you are thinking of for the first time and as a first time head coach there are things you did not realize that were part of the game when you are a player so the learning experience was great and you can apply it here at this level."
Peroff says the timing seemed perfect for him. Already living in Guelph, he knew the Storm was in need of an assistant when Jake Grimes moved on to the Quebec League in the off-season.
"I had two good seasons in the GOJHL and I was looking for a job in the summer and with Guelph winning a championship last year and Jake Grimes getting an opportunity to move to the Quebec League - I was already living in Guelph and Stan Butler probably had a really good reference for me and a couple of other people that knew George Burnett as well and it just kind of fit together well and they were looking for a guy so it has been good ever since."
Much like making the jump from the Jr A Skyhawks to the OHL, Peroff admits making the jump from Junior B to the OHL has its adjustments.
"In junior B you can drift and find areas to make plays a little bit easier than can in this league. In the OHL there is not a lot of room to make plays," said Peroff.
"I think the bigger thing for me off the ice is the commitment level of the players. Players here are fighting for contracts or to win a championship."
Peroff spent four seasons on the blue line for the Brampton Battalion, suiting up in 240 regular season games and compiling 75 points (15 goals, 60 assists).
See related: Peroff discovered new passion behind the bench
I had two good seasons in the GOJHL and I was looking for a job in the summer and with Guelph winning a championship last year and Jake Grimes getting an opportunity to move to the Quebec League - I was already living in Guelph and Stan Butler probably had a real good reference for me and a couple other people that knew George Burnett as well and it just kind of fit together well and they were looking for a guy so it has been good ever since."
The first year I got the job only 10 days before training camp and I had to build a team really fast
I learned so much and it is such a good experience," said Peroff.
"A lot of things come your way that you are thinking of for the first time and as a first time head coach there are things you did not realize that were part of the game when you are a player so the learning experience was great and you can apply it here at this level."
Big jump?
biggest thing is time and space on the ice,
"In junior B you can drift and find areas to make plays a little bit easier than can in this league. In the OHL there is not a lot of room to make plays. I think the bigger thing for me off the ice is the commitment level of the players. Players here are fighting for contracts or to win a championship."
Coming into the year a lot of people were throwing around the rebuild word
Credit to a lot of the guys in our dressing room because maybe we are a bit overshadowed by last year's team. They came in here and made it really hard for us to do a traditional rebuild. They won so many games and we saw a lot of good things from our team. I think there is just a lot of learning that happens when you win," noting that many of the veterans who are playing bigger roles have stepped up this season.
coming back
It is awesome, I did a lap here in the rink and there are still a lot of familiar sights and sounds; the people that I have met. Even driving into the city a lot of memories come back. My parents have left the area so I do not come back very often but I have experienced this rink in so many ways as a kid playing minor hockey. I remember coming out on the ice for East-West, high school hockey, I remember playing for the Skyhawks, at CIS and now I am an OHL assistant coach. It is a lot of fun, that along with playing my old team too so it is ironic seeing a lot of those faces too.
