The St. Albert Merchants skate into a new season low in numbers but high in talent. “We have a strong core back from last year and some new guys that we're really quite excited about,” said Scott Rodda, head coach of the 2014 pennant winners (34-3-1) and Founders Cup finalists in the Capital Junior B Hockey League. “There are some guys out at junior camps that we might get back but I'm still optimistic we'll get some more bodies.”
The St. Albert Merchants skate into a new season low in numbers but high in talent.
“We have a strong core back from last year and some new guys that we're really quite excited about,” said Scott Rodda, head coach of the 2014 pennant winners (34-3-1) and Founders Cup finalists in the Capital Junior B Hockey League. “There are some guys out at junior camps that we might get back but I'm still optimistic we'll get some more bodies.”
Training camp opened Tuesday for the Money Men, 45-11-1 last season as the fourth-place finishers at provincials.
“After the skate I said to the other coaches I was impressed with the level of enthusiasm and spirit. A lot of the kids are feeling that after last year there is some unfinished business,” Rodda said. “Conditioning is still going to be an issue at this time but despite the lack of conditioning for some there was lots of energy, lots of spirit, lots of wanting to move forward and getting the season started so that's a good sign.”
There is a huge hole to fill between the pipes with the graduation of Justin Pawlenchuk, the CJHL's first-team all-star netminder for the second straight year, and the uncertain status of Max Cathcart. The backup to Pawlenchuk is not listed on the training camp roster and is currently injured.
“We need to find ourselves a couple of goaltenders that's for sure,” Rodda said. “We have a couple of new guys trying out so we'll see how they do.”
Despite the smaller than expected turnout of hopefuls there are still more forwards and defencemen than roster spots.
“We're looking to use this weekend as a real test to see how many guys can play junior B hockey,” said Rodda of the Morinville Jets' tournament at Ray McDonald Sports Centre. “We're looking to see who is going to make the jump and who wants it bad enough.”
Today the Merchants play the Strathcona Bruins at 1:30 p.m. and the Stony Plain Flyers at 6 p.m. and Sunday's ice times are 12:15 p.m. against the Leduc Riggers and 7 p.m. against the Jets.
“Morinville should tell us a lot,” Rodda said of the preseason icebreaker. “It's going to depend how many more bodies we get out to camp but I would like to think that nobody is going to have to play all four games. We're just going into it to see which guys kind of fall into the mix of things.”
Next weekend the Merchants host the Edmonton Mustangs on Friday and the Founders Cup champion Fort Saskatchewan Hawks on Sunday. Game times are 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
“We'll get six games in against league rivals so it will be a good test for us to see where we kind of line up,” said Rodda, who shared the 2014 CJHL's coach of the year award with his staff of assistant bench bosses.
The league opener is Sept. 19 against the North Edmonton Red Wings at 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
Visit www.stalbertmerchants.com or www.cjhl.org for the team's schedule.
