There were times that Battlefords Sharks head coach Gary Berggren had to have his eyes focused on every single part of the ice over the weekend.
That’s because the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League team had their biggest turnout ever for their spring camp as 66 players took to the ice at the Battleford Arena.
“Thankfully I had a few people helping me out to watch everything that was happening out there,” Berggren said.
“To see that our numbers were up so much is obviously nice, but the talent on display and the level of play was up as well, which is something that everyone on the team is happy about.”
While the majority of the players were from The Battlefords, skaters from Hudson Bay, Lloydminster and Saskatoon were also in attendance.
“We had players from around the province that we kept an eye on during the season and from past years as well,” Berggren said. “It was a good weekend to see where they are at with their game and how much they are improving.
“For the coaching staff, it’s good to make a mental note of how closer or how far away a player is from playing AAA hockey. Some girls improve a lot in a short period of time and some steadily improve as time goes on, so to see them all in one place is a great thing as you can see firsthand how they matchup with one another.”
The Sharks, who had a 7-19-2 record last year and lost in the quarter-finals to the eventual league champion Prince Albert Northern Bears, are only losing two players from their forward core.
Jordan Kulbida will be playing for the Regina Cougars next year, while Dakota Peterson is going to suit up for the McKendree University Bearcats in Lebanon, Illinois.
Although there are not many open spots on the roster for next season, the stage is set for a competitive training camp for the Sharks in August.
“We’ll be in contact with many of the players that were here this weekend as we begin the process to set our roster,” Berggren said.
