By Ryan Laverty /
It’s a problem many minor hockey associations should be so lucky to have, but it’s a problem just the same for the Canadian Athletic Club.
Their success at developing high-calibre hockey players at the Bantam level has led to a tradition of placing athletes on Western Hockey League teams by the age of 16, leaving the rest to defend the club’s good name at the Midget AAA level.
“It is a sign of a good organization to have that many kids going to the Dub or the Alberta Junior Hockey League, but does it help us? Not really,” said Mike Greene, governor of the Gregg Distributors Midget AAA Canadians. “By the time you develop them, they’re gone, so it does make it harder for us.”
Fortunately for the Canadians a couple of WHL squads let a pair of Northwest snipers slip through their grips this season.
Forward Brendan Ranford, the nephew of Oilers great Bill, was turned loose from the Kamloops Blazers’ camp last week. The 15-year-old led CAC’s Bantam AAA squad in scoring a year ago and is expected to add a fuse to the Canadians’ offensive fire this season.
Likewise, Burke Gallimore, one of the Midget AAA squad’s top point getters a year ago, was returned to the CAC fold by the Spokane Chiefs. The 16-year-old will be joined by six other returnees from last year’s team, which finished seventh in the Alberta Midget Hockey League’s North Division.
“The guys came together quite well in the playoffs last year and with the guys we have coming back I definitely think it’s going to be a good year this year,” said Greene.
The Canadians open their season Sept. 29 in Fort Saskatchewan at 8:15 p.m. at the Jubilee Arena.
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