Stettler Lightning begins the new season this weekend by hitting the ice at the Rec Centre at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, Aug. 29.
Registration begins on Friday night at 8.30 p.m and training sessions will continue all day Saturday and most of Sunday, with climax coming in the form of an intra-squad game on Sunday afternoon.
Due to graduations, advancements to senior categories and to employment opportunities taken up by players from last year’s team, head coach Doug Smith says there will be as many as 10 places to fill in this year’s roster.
Smith says this weekend’s training camp is a great opportunity for both returning players and new additions to the team to find out how they can take on some key roles in the team’s game plan this year.
The coach says, with his assistants Lloyd Larsen and Greg Kreese, they will be focusing on particularly defense and wing positions throughout the training camp.
“These are the areas which had the greatest turnover, so of course we will be most interested in who arrives at the camp as new players,” Smith said.
“Anyone we may have failed to contact and would like to tryout, please register Friday night” added Smith.
“Every year there is a player we might have missed that turns out to be a nice surprise.”
Lightning’s regular practice sessions will begin on Sept. 1 and their first preseason game is scheduled for Sept. 11 at 9 p.m against Wetaskiwin.
First league game is set for Oct. 3 vs. Banff Bears.