The stage is set for an encore performance by the St. Albert Merchants in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
The stage is set for an encore performance by the St. Albert Merchants in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
The Money Men are banking on surpassing last season's 45-11-1 successful showing as the Founders Cup finalists and fourth-place finishers at provincials when the puck drops Friday in the home opener against the North Edmonton Red Wings. Game time is 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
“We're going to be coming hard this year. We definitely want to do better this year and win playoffs and provincials,” said centre Liam McNamara. “If we play like we can and like we know we can we'll definitely do really good this year.”
The Merchants are on a mission to prove one of the best seasons in team history – 34-3-1 as the CJHL pennant winners – wasn't a fluke.
“Although we lost a few key guys in the graduating players and a few others that have moved on there have been a few nice additions to the club and we appear ready to build on where we left off last year,” said head coach Scott Rodda. “It's early in the year to make predictions but as a coach I will predict success if the players work hard as a team and find ways to meet the challenges that will be put before them. Many teams will be gunning for us given our record last year so there won't be any easy games.”
The roster currently sits at 23 players and unless there are further additions or deletions the Merchants will skate into the weekend with 16 returnees.
As of Monday the four over-agers (21-year-olds) were defenceman Karmen Ward and forwards A.J. Yariwon, Taylor Wiebe and Mike Roeleveld, who missed the entire 2013/14 campaign with an injury after a strong offensive showing two seasons ago.
“It's mostly a returning team, a veteran team,” said Ward, a second-year Merchant in his fifth CJHL season. “I'm really looking forward to it. We should be pretty identical to last year.”
Lessons were learned after coming so close to winning the team's first Founders Cup since 2005 and first provincial medal since 1998.
“The experience will definitely help us out,” said McNamara, a former Alberta Junior Hockey League player who posted 10 goals and 37 points in 33 games in his first stint with the Merchants.
In pre-season play the Merchants won three and lost two while plagued by injuries.
“We've had short benches due to the injuries but everyone was getting a good amount of ice time,” said McNamara, 20, a MacEwan University commerce student. “We're just going to go out there and have fun and do our best.”
There is still unfinished business for the Merchants from losing the deciding game in the best-of-five Founders Cup final 4-3 to the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks after battling back from a three-goal deficit in front of a standing room only crowd in the cramped Akinsdale confines.
The Merchants forced a game five on Stefan Meunier's overtime winner in the Fort two nights earlier.
At provincials in Grande Prairie the Merchants had their hearts crushed 5-4 in the semifinals on a shorthanded goal in overtime by the Blackfalds Wranglers, the eventual gold medallists, after letting a three-goal lead slip away in the third period.
In the bronze medal game the emotionally gutted and injury-riddled Merchants lost 3-1 to the North Peace Navigators.
“I don't know if there is really any extra pressure on us but the goal as a team is we want to surpass what we did last year,” said Ward, who separated his shoulder in game four against the Hawks and sat out game five and provincials. “It's definitely exciting with how good our team is looking so far and when you have a winning team like we did last year it makes you want to come back and play even harder.”
Ward, 21, broke into the CJHL with the Morinville Jets and played three seasons with the Merchants' bitter rivals before switching sides. The pride of Clyde will be shooting for his first goal as a Merchant after collecting 10 assists in 46 league and playoff games last season.
“Junior B is good competitive hockey. It's a little more lax so I'm able to go to school and play hockey at the same time. If you miss a practice it's not the end of the world kind of thing,” said the NAIT accounting student. “It's great to go out and play with a good group of guys and still play competitively.”
The Merchants and Jets renew their hostilities Sunday at 6:45 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
ICE CHIPS: Prior to Friday's opening faceoff the Merchants will present the St. Albert Community Village/Food Bank with a cheque from the proceeds of sales of the team's calendar from last season.
In lieu of gate admission donations will be accepted from those wishing to contribute as part of the Fall Food Drive for the food bank.
