Coyote prospects train by running back and forth at a previous prospects camp. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The record-breaking spring weather this week isn’t going to stop dozens of young hockey players from across British Columbia – and a few from Alberta and the United States – from putting on their skates and showing off their skills this weekend at the Sun Bowl Arena.
That’s because the seventh annual Osoyoos Coyotes Spring Prospects Camp is set to return.
A total of 60 players are expected to participate in the 2016 spring camp, which kicks off Friday morning and continues with practices and games all weekend, wrapping up with an all-star game on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., said Ken Law, the veteran head coach and general manager of the Coyotes.
Law is the man responsible for starting up the prospects camp in Osoyoos and says it has been a huge success from day one and helped him recruit many talented young players to play for the Coyotes.
“We usually find a gem or two at every spring camp and we’ve actually signed up to five players in one season as a direct result of their participation in our spring prospects camp,” he said.
Eight returning players from last year’s team will join 52 prospects who have registered for the camp, said Law.
“We will split the players into four teams of 15 and kick off with practice on Friday morning and some games in the afternoon and evening,” he said. “We’ll have another full practice on Saturday morning and then some games in the afternoon and evening and we’ll pick the best players from the weekend and invite them to play in an all-star game Sunday morning.’
Some of the players attending this camp will only be 14 and 15 years of age and most of them won’t be ready to jump into the lineup next season, but perhaps a year or two down the road, said Law.
Holding a spring prospects camp allows him and his coaching staff to identify several good players who will be looking for options to play at a higher level for the 2016-17 hockey season, he said.
“There will be a lot of these kids trying out for Junior A teams … and if they don’t make it we want to let them know they might be able to earn a spot with us,” he said. “The camp is about identifying talent and making contacts that hopefully ends up landing you a couple of really good players.”
Former Coyotes star Carter Rigby attended the spring prospects camp several years ago and ended up playing one year for the Coyotes before moving up to become a star player with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League, said Law.
Rigby gained some national attention last week as he scored the overtime winner for the team from Bentley, Alberta that captured the Allan Cup, which goes to the senior men’s national champion.
Assistant coaches Carl Poole and former Coyotes’ team captain Thierry Martine have both signed to return behind the bench next season and both will be in attendance at this weekend’s camp, said Law.
Local hockey fans are invited to take in all the action throughout the weekend free of charge.
The parents of many of the players coming in from out of town to attend the camp end up turning the trip into a family vacation as they spend extra time in Osoyoos enjoying the fantastic spring weather, said Law.
Law said he’s already counting down the days until the opening of training camp for next season in late August.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
