The Ice Construct their Roster

Junior B Ice select 19 skaters from training camp; expect more in the next few weeks

The Cold Lake Ice are in full practice mode following training camp this past weekend. 19 players emerged from the camp to make up the start of the roster; but just like your favourite reality show – anything can happen from here. Head Coach Scott Hood says the squad opted out of an exhibition game and will practice for the remainder of the month, with a huge home opener on the 30th.

“We’re practicing now, and hoping some more players show up,” it’s normal in the Junior B for it to take some time to finalize  a roster and typically a team can see players join in the first couple months of hitting the ice. The deadline for the league is in January, so there’s quite some time to complete the list. “We sitting at 19 skaters right now, which isn’t bad. We have a couple of good goalies. We’re doing okay.”

“There’s camps going on all over, so we’ll get the odd kid,” Coach Hood says he and his team have been making some calls out to players. “It trickles down really, it may sound funny, but it trickles down from the NHL. The NHL may have some WHL players, the WHL has extra kids, because their kids are in the NHL. Then they’ll release them and they’ll get bumped to the Junior A and then all of a sudden the Junior A has influx. We may not get five or six kids from this but we’ll get one or two.” There’s plenty of time before the home opener for the trickle down effect to take place.

The ice practice Tuesdays and Thursday at the Energy Centre. “Now we just have to worry about what we have out there on the ice and be ready for our season opener.” The Cold Lake Ice opens their season on September 30th at Imperial Oil Place against the Lloydminister Bandits.