It will be a sprint to the finish as the Okotoks Jr. B Bisons build their roster for the season.
Okotoks has just nine days to hold its training camp, play split-squad contests and intra-squad scrimmages before finalizing its opening day line-up in a condensed lead up to the Heritage Junior Hockey League regular season.
There will be no shortage of opportunities for new players.
“The season schedule moved up a week so we’re very compressed with very little time,” said Bisons first-year general manager Brent Trevors. “Kids are going to get an opportunity this year, we’re looking to fill half the roster.
“If I’m 18 years old and still have aspirations of playing Junior A, there is probably a good chance you can play this season for us.”
Okotoks is expected to have just eight or nine of its returners from last season trying out yet again. Moreover, the Bisons will be trimming its incumbent numbers down due to the overage rule with a maximum of four 21-year-old players allowed and up to seven or eight 1995 born skaters battling for those spots.
“You’re going to have to play your way on,” the GM said. “Part of this is a culture thing, your play and your personality are going to go a long way in you hanging around.
“We’re going to do what’s best for the team.”
Forward should be a hotly contested position amongst the overage group with the likes of last season’s leading scorer Mark McLeod, alternate captain Connor Tudor and versatile Okotokian Harrison Smith eligible to return to the ice.
On the back end, it’s a different story.
Rookie of the year Caleb Eefting is off to Sweden to ply his trade leaving only three primary blueliners from last season on the roster. Goaltenders Matthew McDonald and Draven Rees both return for their sophomore seasons in between the pipes.
The team is expecting more than 40 players at camp with the possibilities of more late additions pending roster movement at the Junior A level.
“A lot of the (Junior A) cuts happen on the weekend so we’re hoping we can see a few guys come in,” he said. “If a kid thought he was good enough to play he’s going to have a chance to play in a game.
“This is your chance to literally play your way on.”
The rookie GM wants to put his fingerprints on a team playing hard-nosed, 200-foot hockey.
“I like puck-pursuing guys, I like a little size and I like sandpaper,” Trevors said. “That’s the kind of hockey team I like. If we can build it that would be great. In a perfect world we will have three, four lines we can keep rolling out.”
Camp opens on Sept. 7 at Murray Arena at 7:30 p.m. The team has split-squad exhibition games both in town and in High River on Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Okotoks then has its top prospects playing in the red-and-blue game on Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. The pre-season concludes with an exhibition showdown versus the High River Flyers again at 8 p.m. at Murray Arena on Sept. 11. Okotoks opens its regular season on home ice against the rival Coaldale Copperheads on Sept. 16.
For more information on the team go to okotoksbisons.com
