September hockey might not be the most exciting action you are going to see during the year. In fact, it can be downright terrible at times.
Veterans with little to prove scrimmaging against 15- and 16-year-olds who have little to no chance of making the team does not equal the best brand of hockey.
However, it can be the most interesting time of year for die-hard fans and the backseat coaches. It’s certainly one of my favourites.
By now, head coach Mike Reagan has a pretty good idea of what he wants his opening roster to look like. Of course, a lot of those spots will depend on who returns early from Western Hockey League camps. A few more spots will be opened up by early season injuries.
As of Tuesday, there were 31 players in camp. That’s about half of what we started with at the start of the month.
By the time this story goes to print on Wednesday, another exhibition game will be in the books and five or six more players will have walked through the doors of the Whitney Forum to return home or to test the waters with another team.
For players on the bubble of making the opening day roster, the mental game can take more of a toll than the gruelling practice and game schedule. The call into the coach’s office can come at any time, and it’s always in the back of your mind.
While the revolving door can be excruciating for the players, for fans it’s always exciting to hear about new players coming to town.
I’ve always thought it would be interesting to give fans a scorecard at the beginning of training camp and see if anyone would pick the same team as the coach.
I can’t count the number of times that a fan would tell me “watch so-and-so, they’re a sure shot to make the team” only to see them sent home the next day.
It may seem a little cruel to be talking about this before the final cuts are made, but getting cut from a team is as much a part of the game as scoring the winning goal in the championship final.
For some players, it is the final blow to their junior career. For others, it is the motivation they need to train harder and come back stronger next year.
A lot more changes will be made between now and the Jan. 10 trade deadline, but if you are a player and you happen to be reading this, congratulations on making it this far. I wish you the best of luck in the upcoming season, no matter where you end up.
