The Yorkton Harvest Midget AAA hockey team is preparing for a new season with a new coach. The team recently held its fall camp, which saw 66 players try out for a spot on the team of 20.
Harvest head coach Jeff Odgers says the younger players trying out have been one of the highlights of this year's camp. The team is open to players born from 1994 to 1996, and he says that the first year players have been a standout of the weekend.
"We've been very impressed with the fifteen year-olds. We had 26 try out and they've been very good, they've pushed a lot of the veteran guys and we've been very impressed with the young guys coming in," Odgers relates.
The potentially young team is something Odgers sees as being possible, especially with the leadership of the returning players guiding them in their first year of SMAAAHL play.
"A young team I'm not scared of, if you have a young team with the right attitude and willing to work. Looking at the guys we have coming back from last year, not only are they good players but they're good people, they're good leaders, and to me that's as much part of being a hockey player as anything, the way you conduct yourself off the ice and on the ice as a person. We've got a good core group of people here, so we can bring young guys in and be comfortable," he notes.
While assisting in previous years, this is the first year Odgers has been head coach. He says he's excited about being in charge, and while there's more pressure there's also the rewards of getting the team right.
"It's been fun looking at the team and shaping it how you see the team, from your personality and how you want it played," he says.
When it comes to the camp itself, and Odgers notes it has been a good weekend and the level of competition has been high.
"I've been very happy with the camp, from the shape the guys have come in and the competitiveness."
One of this year's goals is to qualify for the Mac's AAA Tournament in Calgary, which is based on the team's record in the middle of November, Odgers says. The team hopes to start strong in order to make the cut.
The Harvest will see its first exhibition action on September 10 against the Regina Pat Canadians at home. Odgers is anticipating the exhibition games, as it'll be the first test of the team and give a chance to make the final choices.
The regular season begins on September 23 on the road against the Saskatoon Blazers. The first home game is September 28 against the Notre Dame Hounds.
