The season is barely over and the Okotoks Junior A Oilers have already started looking towards the future.
The Oilers played host to several young prospects at their annual spring camp at the Centennial Arena April 8-10.
Oilers coach James Poole said he was looking for the young players to come in and demonstrate their ability to play at the Junior A level.
“You’re trying to fill some holes in terms of your depth for next year (and) looking for some grit. A mix of grit with speed and skill,” he said.
With games running from morning until night on all three days, the Oilers’ scouting and coaching staff were on hand trying to identify the youngsters who could make an impact at the Junior A level.
While the emphasis was on finding players to fill holes for next season, there was also the realization some of the participants may not be ready for the Junior stage quite yet.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be ready in the future, however.
“You’re also looking for players that maybe two years down the road are going to be jumping into the lineup,” Poole said. “You want to make sure that they’re interested in our organization.”
There was a strong local contingent on hand for the weekend’s prospects tournament.
Eight Okotoks players were invited to showcase their skills for the Oilers’ brass – including four who cut their teeth in the Okotoks minor hockey system.
Locals Steele Erickson, Mark McLeod, Jordan Williamson and Hunter Perry were brought in from Chestermere’s Keystone Minor Midget AAA Raiders.
Tyler Ferguson, Cameron Framingham, Robbie McLean and Alex Robbins were among those invited from the Okotoks Bantam and Midget AA programs.
Poole said he was glad to give the local players a chance to shine.
“If you can find some local talent that wants to play for our organization (then) all the better,” he said.
Poole acknowledged the pressure to employ local talent is present in every market and while the Okotoks players will be given a shot, they would still have to earn their invitation to the Oilers’ main camp.
For McLeod, the Keystone Raiders’ forward and Okotoks native, the goal for the weekend was simple.
“I just want to show them my game and show them that I can play for (Okotoks) in the future,” McLeod explained.
With so many players and so little time, McLeod insisted he would try to catch the coach’s eye by making an impact every time he was on the ice.
“You try to do something every shift,” the left-winger said. “(I’ll) try to stand out.”
After toiling with the Raiders last season, McLeod was eager to earn a shot at making the Oilers training camp roster.
Regardless of the result from the weekend, he said he was grateful for the opportunity to participate in the spring camp.
“I want to, hopefully, get a main camp invite but if it doesn’t happen I just want to know that I did my best,” McLeod said.
While he acknowledged his journey is far from complete, the opportunity to play Junior hockey in his hometown would be a dream come true for McLeod.
“It would pretty cool especially being the hometown kid,” he said. “Everyone would know you in town.”
Following a pre-game meeting with the players, McLeod said Poole and the Oilers’ coaching staff made it clear what type of attitude they wanted.
“They said ‘just play your game and don’t fight’,” he said. “They want hockey players not fighters.”
From his vantage point in the press box, Poole said the versatile players who went out and did what they do best would impress him.
“You’re looking for them to stand out,” he explained. “How they do that is by playing complete hockey.”
Just two weeks removed from his team’s playoff exit at the hands of the Camrose Kodiaks, the spring camp was Poole’s first opportunity to remedy the Oilers’ main weakness.
“We thought we came up short in the playoffs because our grit level wasn’t quite there so… we’re looking for complete players,” he said. “(We want) guys that play at both ends of the rink, that finish checks but also have that element of skill and speed which compliments our style of play.”
The Okotoks Junior A Oilers’ main camp will begin in August.
In the Alberta Junior hockey League final the Spruce Grove Saints repeated as league champs dumping the Kodiaks 4-1 in the best-of-seven series. The Saints advance to play the BCHL champion Vernon Vipers in the Doyle Cup in hopes of advancing to the national championship. The Vipers defeated the Saints in Game 7 of the 2010 Doyle Cup series and ultimately went on to claim the 2010 RBC Cup. The Kodiaks have already booked a ticket to the Royal Bank Cup which will be hosted by Camrose April 30 to May 8.
