It’s billed as summer development camp but in all actuality this weekend is audition time for hockey players trying to earn positions on the city’s rep teams.
Last weekend, Cariboo Hockey’s under-18 triple-A and double-A male teams had their team tryouts and this weekend, starting today, the Northern Capitals female U-18 triple-A, U-15 triple-A Cougars and U-15 double-A Bobcats will get their chance to impress the coaches in the first of three days of on-ice sessions at Kin 2.
It’s been a long year of forced pandemic hiatus for the region’s top minor hockey teams, who last season were limited to just a few exhibition games and months of practicing their hockey skills in front of empty stands in the arenas.
“It’s about time,” said Cariboo Hockey general manager Trevor Sprague. “We’re slowly getting back to normalcy and there’s a lot of common sense there. It’s exciting to get back into some normal (routines) - we’ve got parents in the stands, we’ve got games going on, the referees are out, so it’s healthy for everybody.
“We’re hoping everyone is itching to get back into the rinks for the Cougars, Spruce Kings and us. For all three organizations the expectation is to sell everything out. Even though it’s free to come to our games and I think people want to get out and watch some hockey. We’re just happy to get back to the rink.”
The Northern Capitals, under head coach Mario Desjardins, have their first intasquad game today at 5:45 p.m.at Kin 2. Practices resume Saturday at 9 a.m., followed by a game at 5:45 and another game Sunday at 9 a.m.
The U-15 group is on the ice for games at Kin 2 tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and again Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The Northern Capitals are booked to play in Calgary at the Firestarter tournament, Sept. 16-19.
“Our two U-18 teams are in the hunt for the Telus Cup (male national championship) and Esso Cup (female national championships) - we want to go to our national championships every year and we’ve applied for the Mac’s Tournament,” said Sprague.
Tyler Brough is heading into his sixth season as head coach of the Cariboo Cougars U-18 squad. Other head coaches in the Cariboo Hockey fold are: Stew Lambert (U-17 triple-A), Mirsad Mujcin (U-15 triple-A), Matt Planetta (U-18 double-A); and Derek Wood (U-15 double-A).
The season starts Sept. 25 for the triple-A Cougar/Northern Capitals teams, while the double-A Bobcats start playing for keeps in the first weekend of October.
Cariboo Hockey’s annual outdoor game at Ernie Sam Memorial Arena in Fort St. James is back on the schedule for the 2021-22 season and the showcase event for the Northern Capitals and Cariboo Cougars U-18 teams has put Fort St. James back int the running as a candidate for the Kraft Hockeyville contest.
The contest winner is based on the number of reposts the Fort St. James webpage receives. Go to https://www.krafthockeyville.ca/#/community/11eb5c1718eb7760ad5331ae6ce55818 to enter.
