Bisons inch closer to starting roster

Times Editor

 

The UFA Bisons wrapped up a week-long training camp with their annual Red & White games Sept. 11 at the Strathmore Family Centre.

The local triple-A midget team carried 45 players going into the game, where the Red Team won 3-0, before trimming the roster to nearly 30 players.

“I think we saw a lot – we were looking for some separation from some guys and I think we’ve definitely saw that,” said Bisons head coach Jeremy Friesen. “We were looking for some certain type of players and we saw that.

“I think we’re going to have some speed, some good size up front and our backend is mobile and quick.

“We’ve got some really tough decisions to make in all the positions.”

According to Friesen, the coaching staff was looking for players who have improved during the course of the training camp. As the pace picked up, some player’s level of play stayed the same, while some of the players elevated their game.

Friesen said that the Red & White game was a real eye-opener.

“A low-scoring  (Red & White) game isn’t a bad thing,” said the coach. “The thing is there were quite a few penalties with the new headshot rule coming into effect – we saw that first hand today. 

“It’s a chemistry thing too, when guys aren’t used to playing with each other, the offensive opportunities aren’t quite there. (However) defensively, I think that’s what you have success with, so that is the most important thing. We start from there and the offence comes second.”

The Bisons are now gearing up to host their annual exhibition tournament this coming weekend at the Strathmore Family Centre.

The locals will host Red Deer Sept. 15 (6:30 p.m.), the Calgary Northstars Sept. 16 (5:30 p.m.) and the Calgary Buffaloes Sept. 17 (11:45 a.m.). The four-team playoffs will begin on Saturday night (4 p.m. & 6:45 p.m.), before the final games on Sunday morning (9 a.m. & 11:45 a.m.).

“By (the time the tournament starts), we’ve seen these guys for a couple of weeks now. You start to get to know them a little bit and you have more conversations with them,” said Friesen. “Throughout next weekend, you get to spend some more one-on-one time with them and really challenge them on areas that they need to improve on and showcase themselves. 

“It comes down to work ethic and attention to detail. It’s more or less, at the end of the day, a progression as well. If you’re taking one guy compared to the next, you wanna see where they’ll be come … playoff time.”