Making the cut is the goal of several St. Albert Steel prospects as the Alberta Junior Hockey League team finalizes its season opening line-up.
The Steel plan to carry 25 players when they start league play Friday in Olds against the Grizzlys.
"I want to crack the roster and I'm trying hard to make the team," said Stefan Meunier, a physical forward who contributed offensively in the pre-season. "I just do what I can to help make the team hard to play against."
Another strong candidate to join the Men of Steel is forward Colten Meaver. The midget AAA product of the South Side Athletic Club sniped two goals in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Sherwood Park Crusaders. After six games his 11 points ranked among the team leaders.
"It's been going really good actually. This camp has been probably been my best camp I've ever had. I'm really proud how I'm doing right now," said Meaver, 18. "I'm trying to show off my assets. Speed is probably the biggest thing I have. I have a good shot, too. I like to show it off. I got five or six shots tonight and scored on two of them."
Meaver's points total includes a handful of goals, including a marker in last week's 7-1 victory against the visiting Camrose Kodiaks.
"I like to call myself a scorer but I pass a lot more than I shoot so I would say I'm kind of a playmaker in that sense," he said. "I try to be like a power forward, too. I'm little but I try to get in there and be gritty. I guess I do what I can when I can."
Stepped up
After attending the Steel's camp last fall, Meaver made the South Side team and posted 15 goals and 14 assists in 27 games.
"I've definitely stepped up my game from last year for sure," said the versatile winger who can also play centre if needed.
Meaver credits South Side bench boss Matt Bachewich, a former Steel assistant and St. Albert Raiders coach, for making the jump to junior possible.
"It was a progressive season for me. Matt taught me a lot. D zone was the big thing. I was bad at that, but he definitely took me to a higher level. My D zone has definitely stepped up and I'm feeling a little more confident in that area of my play. It's the same with my offensive ability," he said. "It's all just been clicking so far this year."
Meaver played for a talent-rich South Side club that captured the Mac's tournament title with perfect 7-0 record.
"Winning the Mac's was definitely a great time. We were the first Edmonton and area club to do that. That's something that you always remember. That was the main point of our season and that's what we focused on the most," said Meaver, who graduated from Strathcona Composite High School after spending Grade 10 and 11 at the St. Francis Xavier Hockey Academy. "We also finished first in the north [at 23-8-3]. We had a good year and Matt helped with that a lot."
Tough character
Meunier, 19, also scored against the Crusaders off a great feed by the hustling Tyler Parks.
Some questionable officiating resulted in three minors called against Meunier, as both teams laboured through a parade of penalties.
The night before in Sherwood Park, Meunier dropped the gloves in the second period in the Steel's 5-0 decision.
"I'm kind of a hard forechecking power forward," said Meunier. "I've been playing well. It's been consistent."
The St. Albert Catholic High School graduate split last season between the Drayton Valley Thunder in the AJHL and the junior B St. Albert Merchants.
"Things didn't work out for me in Drayton. Around December they were going to take me off a card. They asked me to stick around and practice but it didn't really seem to make sense. It wasn't really worth my time to not play games and just be on a practice roster so I went home and played for the Merchants and had a good time," said Meunier.
His stats line in the AJHL was one goal and 36 PIM in 26 games with the Thunder. In junior B he went 9-8-17 and racked up 85 PIM in only 17 games.
"It's a bit of a change in the way the referees call the game from junior A to B. They let a lot more go in junior A," said the six-foot and 210-pound skater who hits like a linebacker.
Meunier decided to give the AJHL another shot and hooked up with the Steel.
"After last season I wasn't ready to kind of give up just yet so I worked hard in the offseason. It was always in the back of my mind to not kind of make the same mistakes as last year. I want to do everything I can to stay in the line-up every night," Meunier said. "So far it's been going well. I'm excited to play at home in St. Albert."
Centre is his main position but he can also muck it up on the wing.
"I can play anywhere on the front end. Last season I was mainly a centre but it felt good to go back to wing here [with the Steel]. I'm pretty comfortable wherever I play really," said Meunier, who spent two seasons in midget AAA with the KC Pats and in 2009-10 recorded 15 points and 156 PIM in 33 games.
Also turning heads in the pre-season was goalie Ty Swabb, an ex-Crusader who shut out his former team with 40-plus saves Friday, and hard-working forwards Liam and Mitch McNamara. The Grade 12 twins attend St. Albert High.
The Steel finished the exhibition schedule with two wins and six losses.
