With a number of spots needing to be filled for the 2013-14 AJHL campaign, the Canmore Eagles hosted about 130 hopefuls at a spring camp held at Alex Kaleta Arena, last weekend.
When the Drumheller Dragons knocked the Eagles out of the playoff picture in March, Zack Rassell, Riley Point, Stephen Phee, Alex Barnes, Ciaron Driscoll and goalie Ty Swabb all took their last skate in the AJHL.
Eagles staff and management, therefore, are casting about for replacements. The players in camp, said coach and general manager Andrew Milne, ranged from 15 year olds to 17-year-old midget players, and from AA to AAA squads. Players in camp ranged from those in Southern Alberta to a couple of players from Ontario and B.C.
“This is an opportunity for us to get a look at a lot of guys,” said Milne. “Most of these guys the staff has seen all year, but this gives Jeremy (Eagles assistant coach Reich) and I a chance to see kids we haven’t seen.
“A camp like this is a good chance to take them out of their element and see how they perform.”
Being that the Eagles will need a goalie to replace Swabb, as well as forwards and defencemen, there was a lot of opportunity to players to impress at all positions.
Each player at the spring camp took in one practice and three games. Eagles staff, “talked to each player,” said Milne. “We want to evaluate what type of kid they are and we let them know what we’re expecting. We’re going to have some openings for sure and for these players, what they’re hoping for is an invite to the main camp. We want to see how they skate, how strong they are and how they compete.
“Their objective is to come back to the main camp and get on the ice with the big boys.”
Not surprisingly, there were a couple of brother acts on the ice during weekend action. Most recently, of course, the Eagles had the brother combination of Alex and Cam Barnes on the ice, as well as Luke and Simon Philp at times. In the past, the Bomersback brothers, Mark and Darcy, also saw ice time with the Eagles.
On the weekend, forwards Noah Philp, 15, Mark Rassell, 16 and Jonas Gordon, kept the brother association going. As younger players, both would be future considerations, but both impressed, said Milne.
In looking at his goalie situation, Milne said Cam Barnes will return, and of the goalies at the camp, some 17 year olds looked good. “They have a little more experience and playing time.”
Around the A
The South Division Brooks Bandits are 2-1 (as of press time) over the North Division champion Spruce Grove Saints in the best of seven Gas Drive Cup series.
Both teams finished the season atop their division, with Brooks holding the staggering record of 53-4-3, and Spruce Grove at 35-15-9.
Spruce Grove went through the Sherwood Park Crusaders and Whitecourt Wolves en route to the final, while Brooks downed the Drumheller Dragons and Okotoks Oilers.
