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.”

The Drumheller Dragons are already getting ready for the 2012/2013 season. Between Friday and Saturday the Dragons will be hosting a spring camp to get a look at the available talent and find the players needed to move the Dragons forward.
    The Dragons finished in seventh place in the AJHL southern division with a record of 17-37-0-6 at the end of the regular season. They made a huge effort to earn a playoff position, but were swept in the first round by the Okotoks Oilers.
    The spring camp is attracting roughly 130 players from all over, many of whom Brian Curran, the Dragons new head coach, has seen in action before.
    “We’ve brought in a lot of players that we [Curran and scouts] looked at last year,” said Curran.
    Curran will be looking for players that will fit a new direction for the team.
    “There are some key players [in the current roster] I like quite a bit, some of them are a little smaller, but compete hard. I think we just need more size up front,” said Curran. “The teams I have don’t usually get out worked and can take the physical grind. If you have a lot of smaller players it wears on the team.”
    Some of the key players Curran was referring to include Sam Lawson, Brennan Baxandall, Ryan Bloom, and  Doug Jones.
    Another aspect that Curran is bringing to the team is work ethic and conditioning.
    “My teams are always going to be well conditioned physically and mentally. We can’t be a soft team, not in Drumheller, but that doesn’t mean fighting,” said Curran. “I want to see guys playing hard, physical, and competing for a spot at our main camp. The kids will work, or they won’t be here.”
    One of Curran’s goals will be improving the offensive output of the team. The Dragons scored 162 goals during the regular season, the third lowest in the league.
    “Offensively, the team didn’t have a productive season. There are some players coming to the spring camp, if we get them signed, will be a big accomplishment and get our numbers up. I want to get it back to where it was where teams were uncomfortable playing in Drumheller,”
    The spring camp starts on Friday and will last throughout the weekend.
    “We’re not going to have the same roster this year,” said Curran. “There are going to be some changes.”