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Lofty expectations remain for rebuilt Bisons

New team, same expectations. Despite considerable upheaval on and off the ice during the off-season the Okotoks Jr.
Josh McCulloch goes to the front of the net in search of a rebound during exhibition action between the Okotoks Bisons and Strathmore Wheatland Kings on Sept. 17 in Indus.
Josh McCulloch goes to the front of the net in search of a rebound during exhibition action between the Okotoks Bisons and Strathmore Wheatland Kings on Sept. 17 in Indus.

New team, same expectations.

Despite considerable upheaval on and off the ice during the off-season the Okotoks Jr. B Bisons open the regular season this weekend expecting nothing less than another Heritage Junior Hockey League banner to be added to the collection at the Murray Arena.

“We have the highest expectations. We should come out on top,” said forward Josh McCulloch, the team’s leading scorer in 2016-17. “We’ve got an older team this year, a lot of 20 year-olds and all of the 21s are back. We should have a good run for top spot.

“We just want to get to know each other because we are a pretty new team. There is a few of us back and I think we’ve done a great job doing that. A lot of the guys are tight already, it’s like a family already and that’s going to help out a lot during the season.”

The players have new voices to follow in the locker room and on the bench in first-year head coach Chris Beston and assistant Ryan Carson.

The duo stepped in after the resignation of 12-year bench boss Mike Hannigan.

“It’s awesome. It’s a fresh start which we need,” McCulloch said. “Coaldale has beaten us out three years in a row and a fresh start is I think what we needed. The coaches are great, they talk to every guy personally and it’s been great so far.”

The new coaching staff have maintained the standards and not allowed for any bad habits to creep into the dressing room or onto the ice.

This is still a marquee franchise in the Jr. B ranks.

“It’s not as different as I thought it would be,” said Bisons third-year goaltender Matt McDonald. “The practices are set up quite similar, it’s just as strict as it was before. Every now and then you see a (coaching) change and you see a little runoff of how things are going to go and it usually doesn’t end up well.”

In goal the Bisons should be in excellent shape.

McDonald posted a league best .928 save percentage in 2016-17.

“Just like any year you’re trying to win,” he said. “You’re not worried about stats, you’re not worried about awards, you’re more worried about winning.

“Last year we got reverse swept and it was crappy. I would like to get the league (title) which I don’t think is a stretch at all with the team we have here.”

The skilled players might notice a little more room on the ice for their talent to shine this season.

That’s by design.

“It’s a lot different than last year. We’ve got a way bigger team, hard-working team,” McCulloch said. “It helps me out a lot, creates room for me. Most of the time on the ice I’m going to be a lot more open just because all of the big bodies out there taking up the room.”

Okotoks skated to 1-2 record in exhibition and showed its best form in the pre-season finale in an 8-4 dismantling of the Strathmore Wheatland Kings on Sept. 17 in Indus.

One of the team’s Achilles heels looks to be headed in the right direction.

“Slowly we’re getting the discipline corrected,” Beston said. “That’s our biggest issue, it’s never been our lack of talent, it’s we like to take that last whack or hack.

“We killed 30 minutes in Cochrane and (versus Strathmore) it was maybe 18 minutes.”

The Bisons open the regular season at home on Sept. 22 versus the Cochrane Generals. Puck-drop is 8 p.m. at the Murray Arena.

For more information go to okotoksbisons.com


Remy Greer

About the Author: Remy Greer

Remy Greer is the assistant editor and sports reporter for westernwheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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