There Is Much to Be Excited About in the FireWolves Den

Gary Groob

Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media. An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to "grow the game", Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history. Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse, Ontario Series Lacrosse, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, CUFLA, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them. In the year 2019, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page "Global Lacrosse" with a membership of 14,000+ members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022 with a membership of 19,000+. Gary also has been the media person for Ontario Series Lacrosse (Senior B) since 2023. Mr. Groob also covers the Green Gaels for their excursions to Prague at the Ales Hrebesky tournament since 2022. In 2024, when Major Series Lacrosse was in need of a media person, Gary stepped in as their interim media person. His tasks were running their social media, as well as their website until a full time person was found to fill the role. In 2025 Gary was voted onto the Board of Directors for Ontario Series Lacrosse. Mr. Groob hosts a weekly lacrosse interview show formerly on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, now on StreamPunkEnt.com, Youtube, as well as Spotify. Groob also hosts a lacrosse talk show and podcast for All Lacrosse All The Time seen live Sunday nights at 8pm (ET), and archived on the All Lacrosse All The Time YouTube page, as well as Spotify. Gary also wrote a weekly lacrosse editorial column for La Portada Canada News both in print and online for three years from 2021-2024. In 2025, Mr. Groob joined the ownership ranks, becoming a minority owner of StreamPunk Entertainment, ensuring Lacrosse will always have voice in media. Mr. Groob's other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.

(Photo courtesy of Gary Groob)

By Gary Groob – Executive Director
All Lacrosse All The Time

The Oshawa FireWolves (2–6) have played a third of the season, and although the team has hit a few snags early on, the resolve within this group is stronger than ever. Head Coach and General Manager Glenn Clark has emphasized character as he’s built this roster, and his players are quickly getting on the same page. This is still a young team, learning how to win together — something Clark stressed was part of the plan all along.

“Although the record is not where we want it to be, I think it is a group that is obviously going to get a lot better as these guys start to age in their more productive years and also a group that you can grow with and be successful for a long time.”

Alex Simmons (22g, 27a), Tye Kurtz (18g, 18a), Ethan Walker (10g, 16a), and Dyson Williams (7g, 15a) have led the offense with style and finesse. However, at times the offense as a whole has been a bit inconsistent, and the team continues working hard to correct those lapses.

Big Improvements as the Year Has Continued

The power play hasn’t always been a strong suit. In the first four games, Oshawa went just 2-for-19 (10.6%), but over the last four games the unit has shown marked improvement, going 13-for-28 (46.4%).

The transition game has also taken a step forward. Patrick Kaschalk, Jaxon Fridge, and Will Johansen have all taken on bigger roles in the team’s offensive success.

Head Coach Clark has also highlighted the mental growth the squad is making as the season progresses.

“We’ve been working a lot on the mental approach to the game and staying balanced and staying consistent. Earlier in the year, we would unravel in those situations, but we stayed consistent, stayed composed and found a way to win.”

FireWolves Add Muscle

In the past couple of weeks, Oshawa has signed Emerson Clark and traded for Dawson Theede to add strength and size to the lineup. These additions aim to give the offense more space and create tougher matchups for opponents.

Clark is familiar to the area, having played hockey with the Oshawa Generals and Junior A lacrosse with the Whitby Warriors. While known primarily as an enforcer in hockey, Clark won two Minto Cups with Whitby and understands what it takes to win. He is willing to battle in the dirty areas and dig for loose balls.

Theede, also with a hockey background, has been a force offensively with the Halifax Thunderbirds over the last five years. Known for his aggressive style and scoring ability, Theede adds another dimension. With these two in the lineup, the offense should have more room to operate.

Jamieson Stellar in Net

The backbone of this team remains the superb play of Doug Jamieson in the FireWolves net. While the results haven’t always gone Oshawa’s way, Jamieson has kept the FireWolves in nearly every game.

This confidence from the crease has helped fuel the team’s improvements in transition and overall poise.

Upcoming Tests

In the next few weeks, Oshawa continues their road trip with stops in Las Vegas and Hamilton (Toronto), before finally coming home on February 14 against the San Diego Seals. All three teams boast strong offenses but have also faced struggles of their own this season. These games will be pivotal, as each team sits on the cusp of playoff spots.

The rest of the season promises to be exciting as the FireWolves grow together and continue building toward becoming a force in the league for years to come.