Let the games begin.
From years of ground work to get a team in Okotoks, the vision officially becomes a reality this weekend as the Bow Mark Oilers embark on their inaugural regular season in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
“We’re just real excited to get things going now,” said Bow Mark forward Jackson Kobelka. “And start building a franchise that will be able to be successful for the long run and create a good culture for the next generation coming through.
“They finished the tryout process and everyone is ready to get started and have a good season.”
The Bow Mark Oilers were born out of Hockey Alberta’s decision to split the Foothills CFR Chemicals Bisons zone in two. Consequently Okotoks was awarded a franchise while the Bisons moved from Strathmore to Airdrie.
“It has been pretty cool watching the kids out there,” said Randy Partaker, Bow Mark Oilers director. “We played Airdrie in our last game in our pre-season exhibition series and it was neat watching 40 kids from our zone on the ice to actually have an opportunity and not just 20 like it was previously.
“To see the Okotoks Oilers reborn under a AAA team like that is a neat thing.”
Bow Mark’s first ever regular season game on Sept. 30 against Lethbridge will be marked by opening ceremonies featuring the Foothills Composite band along with introductory notes from league and association representatives.
The ceremony gets underway at 3:45 p.m. at Pason Centennial Arena.
The Oilers wrap up the opening weekend in a battle with the visiting Calgary AAA Flames on Oct. 1. Puck-drop is 4:15 p.m. at Pason Centennial Arena.
Okotoks went 3-3-1 through seven games in exhibition and may have caught a few of their South Division foes off guard with their level of play.
“We took everyone by surprise as a new team coming in,” said defenceman Riley Bodnarchuk. “We have lots of talent that will hopefully put us in a good spot throughout the whole season.
“I was quite happy when I figured out I made the team and the energy is quite good in the dressing room. Everyone is excited to start off on a brand new team.”
The Oilers brass went with an older, more experienced and 17-year-old heavy roster.
Siksika’s Anson McMaster, a towering 6-foot-4 defenceman, is the only first-year midget skater on the squad.
Bow Mark will be strong from the net out.
Behind a physically imposing blueline, the goaltending duo of Hunter Young and Ty Tarvyd should provide valuable cover.
Young, an Okotokian, led the AMHL with a .929 save percentage while posting 10 wins with the Bisons last season. Tarvyd posted ridiculous numbers in leading the Wheatland AA Chiefs to the provincial championship.
Up front, Joel Krahenbil is the lone returning player from the Bisons though it is a veteran forward group with nine of 12 skaters born in 2000.
“We have four or five guys that affiliated with the Bison team last year,” Kobelka said. “Most of us have proven we can play at this level and we should be pretty strong in leadership compared to the other teams.”
All members of the Bow Mark Oilers attend Foothills Composite High School while an optional billeting program has been established for players who live outside of the community.
The Oilers will eventually play out of the twinned rink adjacent to Pason Centennial Arena, but in the meantime will make Pason their home rink.
Bow Mark has three back-to-back dates and joint promotions set-up with the Okotoks Jr. A Oilers, a relationship that should only build going forward.
“We’ve had joint meetings and the Oilers have been helping us out across the board,” Partaker said. “We want to run this hopefully to the benefit of both teams. Our hope from a AAA standpoint is our team is their future team. I would hope within the next two or three years we’ve got half a dozen kids playing for the Oilers.”
For more information on the team go to ooaaoilerhockey.com
Bow Mark Oilers 20-man roster
Forward: Nathan Bailer, Isaac Benoit, Jaevon Buschlen, Kale Clouston, Gibb Coady, Joel Dawson, Jackson Kobelka, Joel Krahenbil, Tyson Laduke, Hunter Maximnuk, Alaister Standen, Evan Woods.
Defence: Connor Bertamini, Riley Bodnarchuk, Daniel Lindeman, Anson McMaster, Tyler Strath, Kelton Travis.
Goalie: Ty Tarvyd, Hunter Young.
