The long and winding road of a Junior A hockey season took its first turn earlier this week.
If you see a bevy of new faces at the Okotoks Oilers annual main camp, Aug. 21-23 at Pason Centennial Arena, you’re not the only one experiencing the sensation.
The winds of change blew through Big Rock country this offseason as the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) team has just 11 players returning from its 2011-12 roster.
“It is going to be a younger camp,” said Oilers head coach/GM James Poole. “We’ve got 12 players with Junior A experience in camp. We’re really excited with the young talent we have.
“With the 17 and 18-year-olds we think we have a lot of talent coming in there and think we have a good 19-year-old group of players returning from last year’s team.”
Hope springs eternal in fall camp for the returning crew of Oilers eager to atone for a second round playoff upset at the hands of the Olds Grizzlys last spring.
“I mean last year it was disappointing the way it ended, but I’m excited for the season,” said Oilers forward Connor Collett. “We lost a lot of good players, but I think our coaching staff and recruiting staff will do a good job of bringing in some good players.”
The Oilers lost several key cogs to graduation in the offseason, including forwards Jon Turk, Derek Bacon, Alex Kromm as well as blueliners Rhett Holland and Caylen Walls.
Oilers defenceman Robert Hamilton said he doesn’t see the team’s influx of youth as a disadvantage.
“As it looks right now we’re going to be a bit younger, but I’m still really excited and I think we’ve got lots of talented guys,” Hamilton said. “We should be able to do well still.”
Hamilton, a league nominee for rookie of the year last season, is looking to shoulder more responsibility as a sophomore blueliner.
“Hopefully I can mentor some of the new D, eat up some minutes and be a force out there,” he said.
The graduation of netminder Michael Tadjdeh opens the door for sophomore Jared D’Amico to take the goaltending reins. Devin Green, a Calgary Northstars standout in the Midget AAA ranks last season, will likely join the 18-year-old returning goalie in between the pipes.
“We’re kind of looking for (Devin) to really take the back-up role and even push Jared,” Poole said. “Jared did a good job as a back-up last year, put up some good numbers and we’re looking to see him take that to the next level this year and be a go-to number-one guy.”
The approximately 55 camp invitees will be vying for four to seven spots still open on the roster.
The Oilers are bringing some local flavour to main camp as well. Okotoks area players Trent Schussler, Tyson Arnholtz, Kurt Fraser, Mark McLeod, Jordan Williamson, Darren Bordt, Connor Tudor and netminder Richard Palmer will all be vying for a spot on the hometown Oilers.
“We’re excited to see where they’re at and see if they can earn a spot and get some hometown kids on our team,” Poole said.
The AJHL reduced the maximum of 20-year-old players per team from nine down to six effective this season. The Oilers, with just three 1992-born players in Greg Lamoureux, Scott Bolland and Cody Michelle, don’t feel the need to fill the roster with skaters in their final year of Junior eligibility.
“With camp there’s been some 20-year-olds that we’ve looked at that are available and if there’s one that we think on and off the ice would be a great fit we definitely would look at it,” Poole said.
“But, we’re not in a hurry to fill up our 20-year-old (limit) we really want to go in to camp giving our younger players an opportunity to earn a spot.”
Poole said the Oilers plan to be patient this season and allow the younger players to realize their potential once they’ve been given the opportunity to do so.
“We’ve built a core group of young players that we think we can work with,” Poole added.
“I think we’re going to take a long-term approach to the year and say, ‘Listen we want to work with this group and see where we can get them.’
“We know there’s a ton of potential and see if we can’t develop that.”
The Oilers’ training camp culminates with the black-and-white game, featuring the top 40 players from camp on Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Following camp, the Oilers host a pre-season tournament featuring the Camrose Kodiaks, Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Brooks Bandits in Okotoks from Aug. 30- Sept. 1. For a full tournament schedule visit www.okotoksoilers.com.
