Out of the rubble and ash of loss springs renewed hope and optimism.
From this rubble and ash the Cochrane Generals charge, the sting of last season’s lost battle fuelling their determination for a fresh, successful campaign.
Mustered at its Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre headquarters, the battalion of Cochrane soldiers prepares at boot camp for its upcoming assault on Heritage Junior Hockey League foes.
Returning soldiers and fresh recruits, more than 40 total, engage in Sept. 7 stick-to-puck combat, fighting for one of 23 spots in the Generals’ ranks.
Leading the charge, second-year head coach Evan McFeeters is tasked with enlisting the right recruits to strike the memory of last year’s playoff-less result in his rookie campaign at the helm. His is a thankless task, but mandatory to succeed in frozen battle theatres from Ponoka to Medicine Hat.
“The intensity has been up there,” McFeeters says on a short break between two-a-day boot-camp sessions. “You have to make the tough decisions. It’s the life of a junior coach.
“But it’s going to be worth it at the end of the day.”
Making that task easier is a column of combat-hardened vets, resolute in their desire for victory. Defensive pillars like Craig Packard, Logan Brown and Austin Keller are back in the bunker slinging enough ordinance to shoot down invaders. Matt Krigel and Matt Dunne are also back to bolster a deep defensive corps.
“Finally getting back in shape,” Packard, a third-year defender, says. “I have to step up this year. Be more of a leader in the room and on the ice.”
His strength and reliability have earned him the alternate-captain’s “A” on his boot-camp uniform. Brown, a fourth-year vet who turns 19 today, is also angling for a leadership role.
“I’m playing for a letter on my sweater,” he says, leaning over the boards for a water bottle. “I want to help lead this team.”
With the defence in good hands, the forward ranks are swollen with snipers, including returning third-year ace Ian McRae firing bullets off the wing. Sayer McDonald, Talus Hume, Chris Hugo and Patrick Dove are also on board. Noticeably absent is Reed Boothby, unavailable in his third year.
“Up front, we look pretty solid already,” McFeeters says. “I have some tough choices there.”
And his choices don’t get any easier as his roster remains fluid through September, as mercenaries departing other leagues become available for duty in Cochrane.
“It’s unpredictable right now,” McFeeters admits. “Players are calling, coming and going from different camps. The depth chart changes from hour to hour. But it’s a good problem to have.”
The only problem remaining is battling for a return to the Generals’ former glory.
“We’re not here just to make the playoffs,” McFeeters insists. “We’re here to win a league championship.”
You never want to rely on your last line of defence, yet it’s nice to know you can. So the Cochrane Generals are eyeing a season of net consistency.
A former goalie, Gens head coach Evan McFeeters understands the necessity of having a stingy netminder.
“We just want a guy who can instill some confidence in our hockey team,” the second-year Gens coach says. “If we have a guy back there we know who can get the job done and give us a chance to win every night. It’s going to make our team that much more confident.”
Juggling several goalies last year, including two returning goalies McKenzie Chalmers and Garrett Iverson, the Gens aim to have a strong starter in place for the 2014-15 Heritage Junior Hockey League campaign.
When veteran starter Matt Shawchuk started fighting the puck midway through last season, McFeeters leaned on his backups. Chalmers, a Calgarian, was a revelation in his first half-a-dozen starts. But the rigors of junior hockey caught up to the then-16-year-old as the Gens faded down the stretch. He finished his rookie HJHL season with nine wins, 11 losses and a 3.77 goals-against average (GAA). Iverson, 19, finished 3-3 with a 4.22 GAA.
Both have survived the first round of cuts and will play for the team in the preseason starting Sept. 12 at Okotoks. But other stoppers lurk on the roster, waiting for their shot. Ian Robertson, Bennett Eichinger and Jonathan Hoffmann have all been called back for a longer look.
“It’s still a work in progress,” McFeeters admits of his goaltending roster. “Those two (Chalmers and Iverson) are still left in camp. And there’s other goalies who’ve been invited back to practice and exhibition games this weekend.”
It doesn’t end there.
“We’re also expecting 2-3 other goalies to give us a call and ask for a tryout. Now the trickle-down effect is coming from the Western League, down to Junior A, down to us. It’s still anyone’s ball game.
“But we want to take the two best this year. And we want to have a bonafide starter.”
A work in progress, Cochrane Generals’ goal crease is brimming with opportunity and a lengthy list of candidates vying for the starting job.
