Osoyoos Coyotes’ forward Rainer Glimpel flips the puck behind North Okanagan Knights goalie Zach Dyment to score late in the clinching game in last year’s Kootenay International Junior Hockey League quarter-final series. The Coyotes lost in the league semi-finals to Kamloops Storm. The Coyotes begin their annual training camp Thursday at the Sun Bowl Arena. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The bad news when the Osoyoos Coyotes begin another training camp is that the end of another beautiful South Okanagan summer is near.
The good news is the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season is right around the corner.
A total of 32 players are expected to attend the Coyotes’ training camp, which kicks off Thursday at noon with registration at the Sun Bowl Arena.
This will kick off an extremely busy weekend of practices, scrimmages, dry land training, player cuts and two exhibition games on Sunday, Aug. 31 in Grand Forks and a home exhibition game on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Sun Bowl Arena against Grand Forks.
“It’s always exciting to get back on the ice,” said Coyotes’ head coach and general manager Ken Law, who signed a two-year contract extension this spring after leading the Coyotes to another division championship and spot in the league semi-finals for the second-consecutive season.
“At the end of every season, you’re glad to get a little break, but after a few months off, I can’t wait to get back on the ice with the kids and start evaluating what kind of team we’re going to have.”
While as many as 18 players from last year’s squad are expected to attend training camp, Law said he expects only 10 or 11 will be on the 2014-15 squad.
Players like Aaron Azevedo and Tyler Holz are likely to attend camp, but won’t be here for long as Azevedo has signed to play Junior A in Manitoba and Holz is expected to start the season with Cowachin Valley in the BCHL, said Law.
Defenceman Wyatt Trumbley and goaltender Nathan Alouf may also skate in training camp, but won’t be playing in Osoyoos this season both have been traded during the off-season, said Law.
It also appears Rory Neary won’t be back as he will be given every opportunity to earn a spot with Salmon Arm in the BCHL, said Law.
Law said a big part of his job is to develop players so they can play at a higher level and he’s thrilled so many players from last year will be doing just that this season.
“At the end of the day, our league is about developing players so they can move on to the next level, so I’m always happy when I hear some of the guys we might be expecting back won’t be coming back because they are playing at a higher level,” he said.
The good news is veteran scorers like Troy Maclise, Jackson DeMatos, Rainer Glimpel and Luc Gradisar are all returning and should provide a solid nucleus on the forward lines, said Law.
Many of the young players he expects to make the team are skilled and fast and big, with emphasis on big, said Law.
“We made a decision as a coaching staff that we had to get bigger than we were last year,” said Law. “Many of the kids we think are going to be a big part of our team this year are big kids that are skilled and can skate.
“Against some of the bigger teams, you get worn down if you don’t have that size and we made sure to bring in some kids who will make us a bigger club and harder to play against.”
Lawrence Langan will return in net and the Coyotes have been fortunate enough to recruit young Levi Nelson from Edmonton to camp, said Law.
“Virtually every team in our league was after this kid and we’re very excited that he has decided to play in Osoyoos this coming season,” he said.
The Coyotes will continue their exhibition season on Saturday, Sept. 6 in Summerland before returning home to host Summerland on Sept. 7 at the Sun Bowl Arena.
The regular season will begin in Armstrong on Friday, Sept. 12 against the North Okanagan Knights.
The home opener will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Chase.
The first team practice will begin Thursday at 1. The first of two evening scrimmages will begin at 6:45 p.m.
Practices resume Friday at 8:45 a.m., with scrimmages set for 3 and 4:45 p.m.
Practices begin at 8:45 Saturday, with another scrimmage set for 10 a.m. A second scrimmage will begin at 11:45 a.m.
Once the team is selected, the roster will be split in half and a game will take place Saturday at 4 p.m.
The home exhibition game against Grand Forks will begin at 7 p.m. at the Sun Bowl Arena.
Coyotes’ owner Randy Bedard has also organized an exhibition game between the Merritt Centennials and Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL on Friday, Sept. 5 at the Sun Bowl Arena.
“A lot of guys in our league aspire to play in the BCHL so I thought I would bring an exhibition game to town to let them see the calibre of play and what they have to do to get to the next level,” he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
