With their sights set on improving upon last year’s fifth place finish in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League regular season standings, the Humboldt Broncos returned to the ice over the weekend for a three-day training camp.
The Aug. 31-Sept. 2 camp featured more than 100 players, with four teams of players born between 1997 and 2001, and two prospects teams consisting of players born 2001-2003.
Heading into camp one of the focuses this year was getting a read on their prospects, noted head coach and general manager Darcy Haugan, and says there were a number of prospects who they were pleased with and will be remaining with the club through part of the exhibition schedule.
“The ones that have stuck around with us now have made that first step and now the next step is exhibition.”
In total the Broncos plan on carrying 30-32 players into the exhibition schedule, and Haugan says it will be important for all of the players to seize the opportunity.
“We want guys pushing for everything at every level because everything is going to be earned with this team, nothing’s going to be given.”
A lot of the players have taken that message to heart, as Haugan notes the players came to camp in great shape, with everybody’s physical testing scores being quite high.
“They came in in really good shape and last year was more of a really wide range of top score to bottom score, this year a lot of guys are very close so it bodes well for hopefully on ice success.”
The Broncos wrapped up camp with the Elgar Petersen Cup game, which was won by Team Green, and they knocked off Team Gold by a score of 5-3.
The Elgar Petersen Cup game featured a number of local players as well, who continue to impress Haugan, who notes they continue to do everything right, leaving the club both pleased and optimistic.
“They’ve come in with that mindset of earning everything, knowing that they don’t want to be just given a spot because they’re a local. They want to earn it and they’ve proved that and their character has been good. So we’re just real excited about them and obviously it’s huge for this team and this organization.”
Overall Haugan was pleased with how this year’s camp went, noting there were surprises both good and bad but said it went well.
“It’s just the start of a new season and it’s just the first step in the process. We’re very pleased to be honest.”
The Broncos now have two weeks to prepare for the beginning of the regular season, which includes a quartet of pre-season games this week as they play the Battlefords North Stars in a home-and-home Sept. 5 in North Battleford, and Sept. 6 at the EPA, and the Melfort Mustangs in a home-and-home Sept. 8 at the EPA and Sept. 9 in Melfort.
Trade
The Broncos also announced a trade late last week, as they moved forward Chris Van Os-Shaw to the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in exchange for forward Conner Lukan and a player development fee.
The 20-year-old Slave Lake, Alta. native comes to the Broncos with three years of AJHL experience, including an AJHL title in 2014-2015 with the Saints.
In 161 games, Lukan scored 28 goals, and added 36 assists for 64 points, while adding 145 penalty minutes.
Signing
The Broncos have also made it official that they have signed Haugan to a two year contract extension, that will keep him behind the Broncos bench until the 2020 season.
“Darcy is entering his third year and we have seen steady improvement of the on ice product. Darcy has shown how committed he is to the community and to building the Humboldt Broncos back up to a championship caliber hockey club that Humboldt is accustomed to,” noted outgoing Broncos President Jamie Brockman in a press release.
“The Board really wanted reward his progress and dedication to improving every day and allow him the opportunity to achieve that goal. We are thrilled to have him here for another three years.”
