Junior A hockey made a brief return to the Nicola Valley this weekend.
The Centennials held a spring evaluation camp at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Approximately 75 players took part in the camp from midget, major midget, and junior B teams. Many were invited to the camp based on what the coaching staff saw while scouting for the past month.
It's been a busy spring,” explains Al Glendinning, head coach and general manager for the Cents. “There are some good looking young defencemen and forwards in camp. We will definitely have an eye on a few for training camp in August.”
Most of the players came from British Columbia, but there were a few players from Alberta, California, and even Pennsylvania. This was a chance to have a look at the talent pool and get an idea of who they may want to try out for the team.
Eight Cents from this past season also attended the camp. Although the coaches were glad some could make in, others were unavailable due to work commitments and the distance they would have to travel to take part.
“Our returning players will be pushed,” Glendinning says. “There'll be no spots guaranteed.”
Erick Ruud was among the former Cents that were at the camp, as was Merritt Minor Hockey product and current Cent Codie Kightley. He was joined by four other local minor hockey players, including Garrett Walker, captain of the Tracker Sportswear AA midgets.
This is the first time in a number of years that Merritt has held a spring evaluation camp in our city. The coaches will have two more similar events. Next up is one in Calgary at the end of April, followed by Prince George a week later, and finally a fourth at the end of May in the Lower Mainland. Many Cents alumni, including Wade MacLeod, Alan Mazur, and Brad Thiessen, are expected to help out with the final camp.
Glendinning is ready to make some changes on the team for next season.
“We're definitely looking for size,” he explains. “We're looking to get bigger.”
The Cents will be ready late in the summer to start training camp. At that point, the coaching staff will be looking to build a team that can improve on their performance from this past season that saw them finish last in the BCHL with only 35 points and 13 wins.
