Fronts: Ethan Werek, you had an option, sir

Moses wandered the desert for 40 years and Barry Sanders endured a decade with the Detroit Lions.

In comparison, Ethan Werek should be able to do two, maybe 2½ seasons with the human comedy that is the Kingston Frontenacs standin' on his head. Sorry, but sarcasm as a defence mechanism is about the only response to learning that Werek has opted out of a free education at Boston University to sign with the Frontenacs. You mean GM-for-life Larry Mavety wasn't throwing bull all those times he insisted Werek would show up in Kingston, despite the hard evidence there was a better chance you'd see Sasquatch walking down Princess St.?

Who knows what really went down and what won't go into the officially sanitized history. In major junior hockey, when it comes to where a player decides to play, it's kind of like sausages and legislation -- you don't want to know what went into making them.

It's a little hard to digest that a player who had a choice, chose the Frontenacs.

A few weeks ago, the coach at Kingston's K-Rock 105.7, Tim Cunningham, said on our own Tyler King's Offsides radio show that Werek has an, uh, delicate family situation involving his parents' marital status. That certainly could have played into his decision to leave the Indiana Ice of the USHL and go to Kingston. Junior hockey fans also know about the Garry Nunn situation, where a NCAA-track player ended up reporting to the Vancouver Giants because he stood to lose some of his college eligibility when it was discovered he had signed a letter of intent. That would have not come into play until Werek actually arrived at Boston U. Still, you can't put anything past any major junior hockey team, least of all a silver fox such as his Royal Mavness.

We will never question his pimp hand again, at least not until the 10-game mark of the regular season.

For whatever reason, Ethan Werek and his pops, Zeev took temporary leave of came to their senses and shook hands with Mavety and Fronts owner Doug Springer. Kingston is going to be an improved team, probably good for a mid-table finish in the OHL's Leastern Conference.

That means it's OK to enjoy seeing Werek in black and gold. Fare thee well, noble Ethan.

(Glove tap to The World of Junior Hockey.

There should be some buzz at Fronts Talk and the New OHL Open Forum



Update: Also, apparently there's word that the K-Rock Centre will be host to a Team USA-Russia exhibition game before the World Juniors in Ottawa.

Update 2: Coming Down The Pipeline! has a good post on "5 Ways To Change to Junior/College Hockey." One of their suggestions is to allow players to play major hockey up until age 18 without forfeiting their NCAA eligibility. The arrogant NCAA will never go for that in a million years, since it figures it would lose about 15-20% of its talent pool. Could you picture someone like the Kingston Frontenacs' Nathan Moon, who's 18 years old, leaving after two seasons to go to a U.S. college?)