Sandro Pisani has high hopes for the St. Albert Raiders this season.
However, the midget AAA team will have many new faces and a very different type of team compared to last year.
“I don’t think we’ll have the same depth on this year’s team, but I think we’ll have a different makeup,” said Pisani, co-coach of the Raiders. “I think we’ll be a tougher team to play against. I would say the overall skill level and depth was definitely an aberration last year because there are not very many teams that can get as much skill as we did on one team.”
The Raiders posted an impressive 23-6-6 record, good enough for second place in the north division. They lost out on the tiebreaker for first place to the Lloydminster Bobcats. In the playoffs, the Raiders got a bye to the division semifinals, but lost to the Leduc Kings in a fifth and deciding game, including two losses in double-overtime.
Training camp for the Raiders started Sept. 3 with more than 100 players, and that number was at 32 as of Thursday. Two of those players are returnees: Jayden Hart and Tyler Rebkowich.
Six players are away participating in junior camps. Among them is 16-year-old Troy Bourke of the Prince George Cougars. In his first year of midget, Bourke led the Raiders in scoring with 53 points in 34 games. He finished two points behind Stephane Legault of the Southside Athletics for the league lead. Pisani said he wasn’t expecting Bourke back playing in St. Albert.
Matt Waseylenko, a 17-year-old defenceman, was also trying out with the Prince Albert Raiders, but was assigned to the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Pisani isn’t sure when the players trying out for junior teams will return, but Oct. 15 is the deadline for junior teams to assign players to midget.
“If they’re not in our camp, we can’t really worry about it because with junior teams they may say you might see them back, but until they’re actually back you never really know,” Pisani said. “Obviously, in the back of your mind, those kids could come back, but until they’re actually skating with us we can’t really worry about it.”
For now, Pisani is focused on picking this year’s roster from the 32 players in camp. Up until this point, the team’s time on the ice has been full of drills and scrimmages. The group is made up of a mix of players from the bantam and midget levels.
“Our goaltending is going to be very strong. We’ve got a number of kids who look strong on the back end, so we’re happy to see that. There are some things that need to work themselves out over the next few exhibition games, but I think overall we’re going to be a hardworking team and I’m excited.”
The pre-season schedule gets under way Monday against the KC Pats at Bill Hunter Arena at 6:15 p.m. The only home game for the Raiders is a Sept. 22 exhibition at Akinsdale Arena, but the opponent is yet to be determined.
The Raiders open the regular season against Leduc on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. at Akinsdale.
