Seasonal preparations are now well underway as the AAA Midget hockey camp took place over the weekend at the Gallagher Centre.
The camp was the first for new head coach Jeff Odgers, who took over the coaching reigns from the departed Graham Garrett following the end of last season.
Odgers said the camp this weekend was a good showing for the hockey talent in the area.
It began Friday afternoon with track and field exercises held on the track at the Yorkton Regional High School.
The drills were made to emulate those of a typical Western Hockey League camp, said Odgers, who added it's a good chance to see "which kids have been putting the time in" during the off season to prepare for hockey tryouts at this level.
Odgers said there were 66 kids in total who were invited to this year's camp.
He said the goal was to narrow it down from the 66 who were chosen to tryout to 25 as of Sunday morning, and then trim it down again to 20 by the time the camp comes to an end later that afternoon.
Odgers said that with this being his first time in control at the Midget AAA level, he wasn't looking to do anything different from previous head coach Garrett, although Friday's run around the track was something new he implemented.
"Not really," he said, adding that the breakdown of a hockey tryout camp at this level is "pretty standard".
Everybody has their own personality," he added. "It's been good."
Among the hardest part for any hockey head coach, is the last part of tryouts when it comes time to making the separation between those who can compete at this level of competitive ice hockey, from those who aren't ready to make that critical jump up.
"I didn't sleep last night," said Odgers with a grin. He started talking about what it's like to give some kid their walking papers, especially after most of them showed they have what it takes to play Midget AAA.
"I'm happy with the shape," he said of the players' physical conditioning, on average (but) this is the worst part of it," he noted on Sunday afternoon's one-on-one interviews with 25 hockey players.
"The skill level's been great. The compete level's been great."
When the middle of August rolls around, there are always going to be some players that will attempt tryouts with various clubs from across the WHL; Odgers is well aware that there are some kids who won't be playing in Yorkton this season due to other commitments.
He added that some of the players who competed in last weekend's camp are only 14 years old.
When asked what he thinks the team will look like by the start of the regular season, Odgers admitted that it's nearly impossible to tell, at least not before the start of the exhibition season.
"No, honestly, you know what I mean?" says Odgers in response. "You can't judge that (yet)."
He added that he's going to need part, if not all of the exhibition games before he knows who can do what.
