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Tough decisions lie ahead for Stamps

A great turnout of players combined with a few good performances has given the Jr. B Stampeders coaching staff some stuff to think about.
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Players from both teams watch as this screen shot from the point goes top corner over the goaltender during this scrimmage on Saturday

A great turnout of players combined with a few good performances has given the Jr. B Stampeders coaching staff some stuff to think about.

The tryout camp began on Friday, Sept. 2 and concluded with the annual Black and White game on Sunday night (Sept. 4), providing head coach Tyler Fiveland with a lot to think about. The club also played in Wetaskiwin in an all-rookie exhibition game on Monday, Sept. 5 - the result was not available at press time.

“We had a really good turnout and I think that’s a good sign for us,” Fiveland said.

“We do have quite a few returning players from last season to go along with a number of players that we were able to recruit into coming, so the time we spent out there and talking to players in various places seems to be paying off.”

As for how the competition for spots went, Fiveland was very pleased with the level of play displayed on the ice along with the work ethic he saw during the workouts.

“There were a lot of players out there that looked really good and just how good some of them were caught me a bit off guard. We are going to have a lot of tough decisions to make this year,” he added.

“From what I saw, we will be a lot more of a difficult team to play against this season. We will have more size and those bigger guys also bring a lot of skill with them.”

Fans first chance to see the upgraded version of the Stampeders comes on Saturday, Sept. 10 when they play host to Wetaskiwin in an exhibition contest. Puck drop at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex is set for 6 p.m.