Making the cut

Times Editor

 

After a highly-spirited rookie camp, a grueling main camp and a very competitive Red & White game, the UFA Bisons had some difficult choices to make.

Over 140 players were seeking a spot on the local triple-A midget team, but after the annual Red & White game, only 32 players are left standing.

Despite the difficulty of telling a player he didn’t make the roster, head coach Jeremy Friesen prefers to make the tough choices.

“It’s always the hardest thing (about camp) and it’s what we ask for coming into the season, we don’t want anything to be easy,” said Friesen. “There are going to be some tough decision and some tough conversations (taking the team to 20 players). That’s a good problem to be in.”

Friesen was particularly impressed with the Red & White game, which took place on Sept. 9 at the Strathmore Family Centre. After 60 minutes of hockey action, the team trimmed their roster by a dozen players to the current 32.

“I think we were pretty impressed with the depth, the skill and the pace,” said the coach. “It seemed to be more intense that the past couple of years – it started out really defensive and a little back and forth in the third period. We saw a lot of really good things. We had a lot of tough decisions to make obviously in trimming the roster (right after the game) and it’s only going to get tougher from here.”

The Bisons have three returning players among the 32 players in camp, with a potential for three more players currently in the Western Hockey League. According to Friesen, they will find out on Sept. 18 if they are returning and will have the final roster set for Sept. 20.

According to Friesen, a lot of the players possess characteristics that most coaches are envious of.

“It’s the size and the ability to move,” described Friesen. “We have some big bodies that are arguably some of the faster skaters on the ice right now, which is a pretty good situation to be in. There have been some players who have impressed up front and a couple of guys on the back end who are big, mean and mobile. They can activate the rush and they have some offensive flair to them as well.

“It seems like the bigger guys are a lot more well-rounded than in years past – they’re not a one-dimensional shutdown player. They bring the whole package to the table.”

The players have one last chance to impress the coaching staff, as the team is hosting their annual exhibition tournament this coming weekend at the Strathmore Family Centre.

The Bisons will host Red Deer, the defending national champions, on Sept. 13 (6:30 p.m.), the Calgary Northstars Sept. 14 (5:30 p.m.) and the Calgary Buffaloes on Sept. 15 (11:45 a.m.). The tournament playoffs will take place on Saturday night and the bronze and gold medal games on Sunday morning (9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.) respectively.

“Everybody coming (to the tournament) is in the same boat of us,” said Friesen. “They are carrying a similar roster size and guys are fighting and competing for spots. Everybody understands that this might be the last kick at the can.”