Neepawa Natives select roster for pre-season
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- Published on Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Photo by Eoin Devereux. About 90 players gathered in Neepawa this past weekend, hoping to earn a position on the Natives roster for the 2015-2016 MJHL pre-season.
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press
The Neepawa Natives are a step closer to having their lineup set for the 2015-2016 Manitoba Junior Hockey League regular season. The club held its annual training camp at the Yellowhead Centre from Sept 3-6. General manager Myles Cathcart said just over 90 players were hoping to earn a place on the club’s roster.
He noted that the selection process at this level can be a difficult one, because the players are so evenly matched.
“It’s never easy. You invite these players to camp for a chance to make the team. We all saw something special in their ability to get to this point, so choosing from there is extremely difficult. Some tough decisions had to be made, but overall, we’re happy with who we’ve kept,” said Cathcart. “We were searching for character individuals when it come to our players. Obviously the skill set was a big factor, as well as their compete level and dedication to training. All those things and so many other intangibles to go along with it.”
Head coach Jim Fuyarchuk was also pleased with the results from the camp, noting that the intensity shown from the players was very good.
“I thought it was a very productive weekend. I like the energy I saw out there on the ice. By the final day, you could see which players have worked over the summer to improve their game. That just meant that we had a better camp, because they came in prepared and in the right mindset. That made for a very good camp,” said Fuyarchuk.
In many ways, training camp is the culmination of all the hard work put in throughout the year by the team scouts. Director of player personnel and head scout Byron Billett said that after spending so much time finding and evaluating the players, this time of the year is very gratifying.
“Over the past year, the scouting staff has put in so much work finding these guys and watching them improve. To see them out there and showing their skill set was great,” said Billett.
There are 26 players remaining with the team as it prepares to begin the pre-season. The first game is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 9, against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. It set for begin at 7:30 pm at the Yellowhead Centre. Cathcart noted that for this first game, the focus will be on the rookies and seeing what they can do in real game situations.
“With 26 players left, there are still a few more decisions that have to be made. A few more cuts to the roster before the start of the regular season. That’s why these pre-season games are so important. Our first matchup with Wayway, it’ll be all about the rookies. It’ll feature all the new faces, giving them the opportunity to show what they can do in real game scenarios. This is their chance to stand out. Show us some hard work and intensity and earn that spot on the roster,” stressed Cathcart.
The MJHL regular season will start for the Neepawa Natives on Friday, Sept. 25, in Dauphin against the Kings.
