HOCKEY - Reaching NHL semis `a huge boost'

Kevin Towns was just a week too late. If he had made his selection announcement last week he might have been a candidate for mayor.
As it is, the vastly experienced hockey coach might get handed some keys to the city anyway.
By naming five of the Northland women's hockey team in his Black Sticks New Zealand squad, Towns has shot to the top of the list with every Northland hockey tragic.
Make no mistake, there are quite a few of those in Northland too.
Towns named a 28-strong squad to play a seven-match series against Korea in Albany next month. It's the first step toward finalising his team to head to China for the Beijing Olympics next year.
Until now, there was just one Northland player seemingly in contention, star striker Charlotte Harrison. Now there are five: Harrison, Laura Douglas, Anna Thorpe, Kelsey Dunn and Jasmine McQuinn.
They were all named in the Black Sticks squad to play Korea, a squad that omitted name players such as Honor Dillon, Frances Kreft and Jane Maley but has ushered in a new wave of talent exposed during the National Hockey League (NHL) this year.
It is a bold statement of intent from Towns as he establishes his regime for the Beijing Olympics. He will cut eight players from his squad for a training camp in December then name 16 to attend final trial games in Hong Kong in July before the Olympics in August.
Having watched with some disappointment several of his established Black Sticks underperform during the NHL, he decided it was time for change.
"Really, for us as selectors, this is a chance to see whether some of these players have got what we think they have got. There are some very good players who have done well in the NHL and this is their opportunity," Towns said.
"It is difficult for players to come off international hockey back to NHL sides. But I believe players who are well balanced and have got it together are going to work hard at NHL level," he said.
"I just felt some of our players seemed to be too wound up about fringe things, about how the team was managed and was going to be coached rather than just getting on with the job."
And, when it came to naming his squad, Towns found something he liked about players who have been developed in Northland.
"There are eight Northland players, whether they played for Northland or not this year. That's an incredible number coming out of Northland."
It is also a compliment to Northland coaches Paul Snelling and Alan Lints who were the masterminds behind Northland's semifinal finish in the NHL this year.
Snelling said the selections were not only deserved for the players, but also long overdue recognition for the province.
"It is not before time that Northland hockey players got recognition while paying for Northland," Snelling said.
"This is the difference of having a Northland team make the semifinals. When you finish fifth or sixth they can say, `Well done, see you later'. But when you beat some of the top teams, make a semifinal they can't ignore you. Now it is up to these players to make the most of it," he said.