Wheatland Kings look for hardworking players at camp

Times Reporter 

 

The Wheatland Kings Junior B hockey club is gearing up for a revamping year after a one-year absence from the Heritage Junior B Hockey League.

The season begins with the pre-main camp from August 12-14 at the Strathmore Family Centre. 

Head Coach Jeremy Blumes is ecstatic to get the camp under way and to see what players he has to choose from for the upcoming season.

“At this time of year a lot of guys have their sights set on Junior B or Midget triple A and with that in mind, we thought we would have a camp a couple weeks before so those players can get ready for main camp,” said Blumes. “The camp is opened up to players born 1997 or older and we do have a couple of 1998s that were by invite only who were higher profile kids coming out of bantam with WHL interest.”

Blumes and his staff want to give players the opportunity to see what kind of camp the Kings will run and what the players should expect on the ice.

“It gives (the players) an opportunity to see what kind of organization we are and practices we run,” said Blumes. “The reverse of that is we become familiar with those players who are on the Kings radar and being invited to the main camp.”

Players will be expected to perform at a high level if they want the chance to impressing the Kings brass in hopes of earning a spot on the team.

“(The camp) will be demanding both physically and mentally. What we planned is to have the (on-ice sessions) in the evening and what it is looking like right now … three teams of 18 skaters and two goalies,” said Blumes.

The program for the on-ice sessions will consist of two scrimmages and certain days where there will be practices; and dry land, which will run through all three days.

Coaches have different criteria in what is expected of the players at the camp to evaluate their options for the team .

“There is five criteria: 1) skating, 2) skill set, 3) competing, 4) character and 5) players succeeding,” said Blumes.

Coach Blumes has one promise to the fans and that is the players will compete night in and night out and will work hard every shift.