The two-time defending Heritage Junior Hockey League champions will have a familiar look in the 2012-13 season.
The Okotoks Jr. B Bisons will return at least 15 players from last year’s provincial silver medal winning roster to their annual fall training camp, Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 at the Piper Arena in Okotoks. As a result, general manager Jay McFarlane is optimistic of improvements this season.
“I’ll state it right now, we’re going to build like we did last year with hosting provincials,” McFarlane said. “We’re looking to get back to provincials and repeat with the league and get (provincial) gold this time.
“We’re going to build that way right from the very beginning.”
The Bisons GM said there aren’t a large number of roster spots open, but they are at important positions.
“We want to card and keep 23 (players) eventually so assuming we’ve kept status quo we have eight spots we’re wanting to fill,” McFarlane said. “One of them being the goaltending position, Alex Caravaggio has gone back to the States, and Tyler Hughes is back in for his third year as a returning veteran.”
Key returnees for the Bisons include captain and fourth-year veteran Chase Fallis, second leading scorer Phil Dillon, team defenceman of the year Michael Savage as well as skilled wingers Ty Fehr and Jeremy Smith.
Fehr, Fallis, Colin MacMurdo, Okotokian forwards Dylan Kendrick and Zachary Baba are all 21-year-old players who will attend camp and could be joined by Todd Callaghan and Brock Boswell, also in their last seasons of Junior eligibility.
“We may have some difficult decisions when it comes to 21-year-olds,” McFarlane said. “But I’m just not exactly clear on who is returning until we get to camp, but we can only keep four and we have the potential of seven (at camp).
“Those are the difficult ones when you’ve got guys who could have one more year of hockey, but due to numbers may not be able to take advantage of that.”
Not returning will be Bisons graduates Peter Soroka, Lane Wagner, Jesse Lyall and Lucas Mikkelsen.
The future of Dillon Loomer, the league’s top sniper with 34 goals in 2011-12, with the Bisons is in doubt.
“He’s a question mark right now due to school, he may be going to Lethbridge,” McFarlane said. “That would be good for him on that side, but that would certainly be an empty spot left with his lack of return.”
There will be close to 50 players vying for 23 spots at a fall camp not short on local hockey talent. Okotoks Midget AA graduates Darren Bordt, Mark McLeod and Richard Palmer will all be on the Piper Arena ice for their hometown Junior B club.
“Our focus continues to be the recruitment in our area,” McFarlane said. “Going from Midget AA Oilers as an 18-year-old graduate, if you can’t play at a higher level that’s why we’re here.
“We’re hoping that every player that still wants to play and hasn’t made a higher level is considered, that’s for sure.”
The Bisons begin training camp on Aug. 30 at
9 p.m., hit the ice again on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. and close out camp with 3:30 p.m. starts on both Sept. 1 and 2.
Okotoks starts its regular season on the road in High River on Sept. 21 and returns to the Murray Arena for its home opener versus the Coaldale Copperheads on Sept. 28. For more information go to www.okotoksbisons.com.
