Hockey players from across North America were determined to show they had what it takes to become a Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiac.
From Monday, Aug. 26 to Thursday, Aug. 29, over 30 Jr. A-aged players hit the ice at the R.J. Lalonde Arena for the chance to wear a Pontiac jersey in the upcoming season.
Pontiacs assistant coach T.J. Millar said players had to step-up to earn their spot on the roster because they "can be given and taken away at any point."
The local Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) team had eight returning players this season: one goalie, one defenceman, and six forwards. Even those coming back from last year knew they had to fight to stand out during main camp.
"Everybody had a chance to make the team and everybody knew that," noted veteran forward Joel Ray. "The intensity was high, and I think we got a good showing from everybody."
There was an abundance of local talent lacing up their skates for this year's camp, including Austin Saint and AJ Macaulay.
"They've been in our programs for years, since they were little guys, and it's their shot to wear the jersey. We're happy to have some local talent, I know it's been missing the last couple of years, and we're happy we have guys who fit the bill. I think they're going to be great for us," Millar detailed.
The competitiveness of the camp allowed other Bonnyville-natives, such as Cam Emigh and Isaak Watters, to showcase their abilities.
"They're players that have been on our radar for a long time, and we wanted to get them into our training camp to see how they faired against our returning guys and our other prospects that we have," Millar said.
Along with their on-ice skills, a major focus for coaching staff was finding which players would fit best into the Pontiac culture.
"It's the way we do things, the people that we have here, and that's something that we wanted to make sure we're starting off on the right foot with. Good people, who do things right, who work hard, who try to be better every single day, and who make other people around them better," stated Millar. "I think that's one of the exciting things; every single one of these kids and our staff members are here for the right reasons, and they're all fantastic individuals."
One player that caught the assistant coach's attention was Thomas Kramer, who came to camp all the way from Bridgewater, Mass. to participate.
"His eagerness to get better, he asked the right questions, and you can tell he's been coached well... He's going to be a good player for us at 19-years-old."
The Pontiacs had the tough decision to cut roughly 13 players from the 35 who came out.
The team continues to focus on developing a younger roster, which Millar believes will give them the upper hand during the season.
"You'll notice on our roster we do have some 17-year-olds that are going to be in, Chase Schmidt and Justin Stathopoulos, guys that are younger, but they have the skill, the work ethic, and they belong here," Millar exclaimed. "You're going to see, come December, it was a good decision to bring those 17-year-olds in because they fit the mold, they're Bonnyville Pontiacs, they're going to be here for a reason, and they're going to help us get to where we want to be."
After a record-breaking season last year, Ray believes the team set the bar high coming into this season.
"I believe that was necessary to change our culture to a winning culture. They've (the Pontiacs) had good teams in the past, obviously we beat some records last year, so each year you're trying to build off the year before that," he explained.
Millar agreed.
"I don't think there's any pressure, I just think there's excitement to do it over again. I think everybody knows what we're capable of, and we made the right moves needed to make our club better and we see that as a new bar. Let's make sure the Bonnyville Pontiacs are a name to remember, and are going to be a dominant force in the AJHL."
The Pontiacs will face-off against the Sherwood Park Crusaders in their first exhibition game at the R.J. Lalonde Arena Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
