On any AAA hockey team the local talent has to be a cornerstone of a team's roster.
According to Battlefords Midget Stars chairperson Bruce Yockey, there were several local players who impressed on the weekend and could move up to the AAA level either next season or the year after.
Players from the Battlefords Bantam AA Barons and Midget AA Barons will be the potential future of the Stars and with several open roster spots many of them had a strong showing on the weekend.
The Stars, in conjunction with the Battlefords North Stars held their spring camp at the Civic Centre where 65 players took to the ice.
The Stars didn't have a coach present for the camp, because the closing date for the application process was just the day before the camp. Eight evaluators will pass on what they witnessed this weekend to whoever is chosen by the coach selection committee.
Beginning this season and into the future, the Stars will be reposting their coaching position each year as part of what was agreed upon with Battlefords Minor Hockey Association two weeks ago when the two sides met to resolves some conflicts.
The Midget Stars explained to the parents and players on the weekend they didn't want to rush into making a coaching decision just to have a coach at camp. Yockey explained it wouldn't have been fair to the coach to jump into the camp, in some cases the same week they were interviewed for the job.
The recipient of the coaching job will likely be announced in the coming week, as May 1 marks the start of when AAA teams can send out commitment letters and Yockey said the coach should be a part of that.
Yockey said the camp worked out well and they are happy with what they saw on the ice.
"The talent level bodes well for the future," said Yockey.
Perhaps the strongest aspect may be defence, as Yockey said some of the new prospects could possibly push some veterans for spots. He was also impressed with the goaltenders and there were a handful of forwards at camp who were affiliated and played games with the Stars last season.
The fall camp will be reduced to about 45 players Yockey said and he expects that camp to be competitive. The Stars could have one goalie, four defence and five forwards return from the 2011-12 team, meaning there could be as many as seven roster spots open.
