Pontiacs add 2 defencemen; training camp set to begin this week

While the schedule hasn’t been formally released, the days are ticking down for when the Bonnyville Pontiacs will hit the ice again.

The Yaks will play in a two-team cohort in March, playing eight games against the same opponent, which has not been announced.

Then, the Pontiacs will have a two-week break in games, before joining a new cohort.

However, Bonnyville will not play one of their born rivals when games resume. Due to public health restrictions in Saskatchewan, the Lloydminster Bobcats were denied the chance to resume play since the Centennial Civic Centre is located on the Saskatchewan side of the border city.

All sports-related activity is currently suspended in the province.

The Canmore Eagles decided to opt-out of the AJHL’s Return to Play citing “challenges in meeting the requirements.”

Canadian Junior teams had to drop rosters to 25 players or fewer on Feb. 25, and the Pontiacs have acquired two defensemen so far to round out their group of rearguards.

Spencer Lecot is coming by way of the LaSalle Vipers in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and Zach Whittaker from the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Lecot, a 2002-born defenceman, had 22 points in 48 games in 2019-20 with LaSalle and Leamington. Whittaker, an ’01 born player, put three assists in five games earlier this season.

Lakeland-area youngsters Cam Emigh and Wyatt Cook will be with the team as training camp begins this week for the Pontiacs.

American-born Michael Fairfax, Will Hilfiker, and Nick Traggio all returned to the United States earlier this winter, and Josh Kroon recently has went down to Florida to play with the South Shore Kings in the NCDC bubble, although the Pontiacs believe he will return later this spring.