Before the ice was taken away for the summer the Drumheller Dragons held a spring camp this past weekend to get a look at potential players for the 2012/2013 season.
In total, 140 players flocked to the Drumheller Memorial Arena to compete for a spot on the Dragons roster.
“We had so many there, we felt we had a lot of talent,” said Brian Curran, head coach of the Dragons. “There were a lot of kids we enjoyed watching. There were a couple high end draft picks from the Western Hockey League in there too.”
The weekend was broken down into training sessions and games. After Saturday, 60 players were cut, leaving the remaining 80 to play on Sunday.
“Usually I like to do a top 40 game, but it became a top 80. There were so many players that we wanted a good look at,” said Curran.
At the end of the camp, Curran explained there are up to six players that will be offered contracts with the Dragons. Another 24 players will be invited to return to the Dragons main camp in August.
One of the goals of the camp was to find players that could help give the team a much needed offensive boost. Some of the players were offered contracts or coming back in August could fill that role.
The spring camp was part of Curran’s belief that for the Dragons to compete in the AJHL, things need to change. That philosophy was personified by the camp tee shirts that read “We’re tired of being at the bottom...it’s time to step up.”
“My thought is things have to change here,” said Curran. “That’s reality and that’s where we want to go.”
Curran is also planning to get a good look at the players currently on the Dragons roster. If they can find the ice, the Dragons will host a combine near the end of June.
Curran is happy with how the weekend turned out.
“It was a great camp. We’ve had emails from parents already thanking us for the camp, saying it was well run and the competition was great,” said Curran. “I enjoyed the camp and everyone did a great job.”
