The Drumheller Dragons organization is busy securing young talent to fill open gaps in a roster which will look a lot older than it did last season.
In search of goalies
“There are a lot of candidates with a lot of elite goalies coming out of the midget ‘AAA’ league,” said head coach Dan Price, explaining about eight goalies will be vying for the two open netminder position on the Dragons’ roster.
Price admits it’s a little rare for a team to be stuck with no players between the posts, “but, it’s a product of our own success as an organization when good players come in and leave quickly.”
Star goaltender Cole Cheveldave signed onto the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Garret Beckwith graduated from the AJHL.
Pricce says they haven’t made a deadline to acquire two goalies, “until January 10 there isn’t any team who considers their roster complete and we’re no different.”
Veteran team
The Dragons said goodbye to a group of veteran players which had been with the team, Justin Tateson, Kevin McMillan, Matt Brown who departed a the end of the post-season in February, but are hoping the 18 of the 24 eligible 2010/11 players return to the squad.
“That was a core group of guys we were building around.”
All 24 players on last season’s roster had never played an AJHL playoff game before.
“To return 18 guys is pretty rare and special, so that’s great for our returning core for the guys who have had those experiences together,” said Price. He says a good chunk of those players will be 20 this year and will move out of the league the 2012/13 season.
Style of play
Price believes this season will bring back a familiar style of play to the ice with so many players returning.
“You always want to be improving, but our team skates well, is very detailed, and has a good balance of skill through all four lines and D-pairings,” said Price. “You see the teams who are having success, teams like Vernon and Pembrooke... what’s interesting about that team is that they’re very balanced. Everyone contributes, they both play offence and defence – they’re just very structured that way.”
“I look at that and get excited because that’s the identity we’ve been building for the last couple years and hopefully that will pay off here in the third year.”
With what’s shaping up as a veteran roster this season will no-doubt mean the loss of major contributors when the team hangs up their skates at the end of the 2011/12 season.
“But luckily, we’ve done a good job of bringing in younger guys behind them. Lawson, Stenner, Jones, we have a lot of these guys coming in to take it over.”
“Even once this core group of ‘91 (born in), the ‘92s, ‘93s, ‘94s, will continue to win. It’s doable if you have a progression plan, like we have.”
