160 hopefuls

Times Reporter    

 

Divided into eight teams, 160 bantam boys filled the Family Centre on March 29 to make the Zone 2 cuts for the Alberta Cup, taking place in town April 24-27. The hockey team will be chopped down to 20 to represent Team South.

“We give each team two skills sessions. Then they’ll do three rounds of games,” director of operations for Team South Neil Glionna said. “Hockey Alberta lays out drills, because what this group is going to do, all seven other zones are going to be doing the exact same.”

The drills ranged from combat to rush to skating to puck pursuit.

“They want the best skaters, the best puck-handlers – basically the best at every position,” Glionna said.

The 14-year-old bantams, Glionna said, were a bit scared of the process.

“They know they’re being watched very closely,” he said. “At the Alberta Cup, Hockey Alberta will start evaluating. Out of that, they’re going to invite the Top 40 to tryouts to represent Alberta in the 2015 Winter Games. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Not only that, but scouts from the WHL and other junior legues will be watching the Alberta Cup.

“These are the kids that get drafted,” Glionna said. “Last year we had a number that were drafted in the first round from Hockey Alberta.”

The skill comes in cycles, according to Glionna; last year, Alberta was very strong.

“This could be a weaker year, but you never know,” he said.

Zone 2 only had 143 kids attend tryouts last year; this year’s jump to 160 makes a large difference for cuts. These boys will be 15-years-old next season, making the upgrade to midget, and bringing a whole new skillset to share, Glionna said.

“It’s fantastic. They’re going to learn so much. One hundred-and-forty kids are going to leave here and not move on, but those 140 kids are going to learn stuff that they can take back to their club teams next year,” he said. “They will be a step ahead of all the other kids on their team.”