Running with the herd is proving to be an increasingly popular option.
The Okotoks Jr. B Bisons are seeing unprecedented interest among players with pre-season camp opening this week in advance of the 2020-21 Heritage Junior Hockey League season.
“Our interest is even bigger than it’s ever been, we have more people at conditioning camp than we’ve ever had and even main camp we have a lot more interest,” said Bisons head coach Chris Beston. “I think a lot of that has to do with kids not wanting to travel now to go away and play, they want to just stay here and just see what happens with the year and make sure they stay on the ice.”
Showcasing that trend is the fact the Bisons have four Midget AAA graduates coming to camp, in Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers alumni Simon Smith-Burness, Kyle Newnham, Daniel Tainton and Ivan Chtchadov.
“That’s never happened before in the past,” Beston said. “They’re sticking around home and want to stay around for the year and see what happens.”
Beston said the numbers for conditioning camp, held Sept. 1-3, range from 32 to 38 with roughly 38 expected at main camp held Sept. 8, 9, 10 and 15.
The HJHL is planning to launch its regular season next month, Beston said.
“The update from the last directors meeting was we have a tentative start date for Oct. 24,” said Beston. “And then they told us to make a light November schedule just in case things get pushed back another month.”
As it stands, AHS regulations only allow 100 spectators for indoor events, but the league is hoping that if Alberta moves into the next phase of the re-launch that number will increase and allow for somewhat regular attendance figures.
“They’re hoping that Nov. 1 that phase kicks in and that I think is 200 people which is kind of an average attendance for us,” he said.
When the puck does drop, Okotoks should have a lot of familiar faces in the lineup.
Beston said everyone eligible to return from last year’s historically successful squad save for four players — Devyn Stewart, Ryan Bedard, Nic Jordan and Joel Deeprose — are back this season. The returnees include star netminder Devin Reagan.
“It will be a good start this year,” the coach added. “We’re going to have a competitive camp.”
For the Bisons coaches and players, sidelined due to the pandemic since mid-March in the midst of the HJHL South Finals as strong contenders to advance to the provincials, it’s been a long anticipated return to the ice.
“It’s enjoyable,” Beston said. “It’s a little bit of a sense of normalcy, you see the smiles on the kids’ faces, they’re all having fun being out with the group again, working hard.
“It’s just a feeling to be back in the rink.”
For more information go to okotoksbisons.com.
