By, Ryan Laverty /
Brooks Bandits
Only eight players will return from last year’s Bandits squad with some 62 new players vying for spots with Ryan Papaioannou’s squad. And while the Bandits’ organization is familiar with large camps, Papaioannou’s approach to whittling it down may a bit of a change.
“This year we’re looking to bring in players with an aspiration to take their games to the next level. We want guys who want to get to the NCAA,” Papaioannou explained. “We’re looking for guys that standout for more than their skill set.”
Guys like returning goaltender Jan Obernesser, who showed signs of brilliance while backing up perennial starter - and recently graduated - Rob Gunderson a year ago.
Calgary Mustangs
Rebranded in the off-season the Mustangs, according to head coach Jeff Peters, expect nothing less than a fourth-place finish and a second-round playoff berth in 2010/11.
Lofty goals for a team that graduated much of its firepower in Jeff Collett, Brandon Nowakowski and Cam Lamoureux after last season. Fortunately for the Mustangs, they have a few veterans in John Lidgett, Alex Kromm and Simon Skrudland who proved as rookies that they can bulge the twine a bit themselves.
Peters admitted that he’ll need a number one goalie to carry the load. Whether that comes from familiar faces or a new breed remains to be seen.
Calgary Canucks
Like their Northwest brethren, the Canucks pride themselves on building with local product, which can make for some challenges when the rest of the league is shopping for the same supplies.
“I’d say 90 per cent of our guys are ones who come out of the major midget and AA programs in the four quadrants of Calgary,” said Phelps. “And we quite literally can’t afford to deviate from that.”
Veteran defencemen Kevin Mills and Otis Rabbit will be back to provide a steadying hand, but the rest of the backend will likely be filled with newbies. Likewise upfront, Phelps will have Krishan Kaushal, Jared Wynia and John Baird back, but there are many question marks on how the rest of the roster will shake out.
Camrose Kodiaks
Hard to argue that they deserved the honour, but giving the Camrose Kodiaks the right to host a national championship is like putting the rest of the AJHL in a barrel and giving Boris Rybalka an A-Bomb. It has been 10 years since the Kodiaks won a national championship, but Rybalka perennially has his team knocking on the door. This year will be no different. Rybalka scored big in the off-season picking up talent such as Cole Wilson who potted 44 points in 60 games with the Westside Warriors in the BCHL last year and Tanner Skague from the Brooks Bandits.
Canmore Eagles
After several years of rebuilding in the doldrums of the AJHL’s South Division, general manager/head coach Andrew Milne may be in a position to reward the Rocky Mountain faithful in 2010/11.
The Eagles will ice a fast and physical team once again this year with a great deal of talent returning to the fold including Cody Cartier, Brian Doust and Tyler Horton.
Of course it’s not all aces for the Eagles. They will have to contend with two of the league’s best players from a year ago moving on to greener pastures. Goalie Sam Brittain, a fourth-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers, will attend Denver University and sniper Lee Reimer will join the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA.
Drumheller Dragons
Cole Cheveldave, one of the top netminders in the Alberta Midget Hockey League a year ago, has foregone his final season with the Calgary AAA Flames to join the Dragons in 2010/11. And while loyalty and seniority warrant a bit of weight, it’s hard to argue that Cheveldave won’t be an improvement over veterans Dylan Tait and Andy Williams, neither of whom had a save percentage near 90 last season.
To be fair, that pair had to be tired from the number of shots the Dragons allowed last year, so Cheveldave will by no means provide the cure-all for the South Division’s cellar dwellers a year ago.
Olds Grizzlys
After more than five years of supplying the league with marquee talent, it’s not much of a story to hear that Calgary’s Edge School has put yet another name into the AJHL.
After five years coaching Midget squads at Cowtown’s elite hockey school coach Kevin Willison has taken over the duties of head coach and director of hockey operations for the Grizzlys. And while that doesn’t guarantee success for a rebuilding club it can’t hurt recruiting going forward.
Okotoks Oilers
Despite graduating eight players from last year’s South Division regular season champs, the Oilers will have speed, skill and character will define the Oilers once again.
Back in the fold are returnees Ben Gamache, Tanner Olstead and goalies Sean Cahill and Michael Matyas. Adding a little competition between the pipes, and perhaps a bargaining chip around the league, will be Edge School product Jared D’Amico who will challenge for regular playing time with the Oilers.
“We know Camrose is going to be a tremendous team because Boris Rybalka teams always are, but this year there is no doubt they’ve done very well in recruiting because guys know they’ll be playing for a national championship,” said VanHereweghe. “The benchmark has been set and it’s going to be up to us to beat it.”
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