It was a very positive sight to kick off New Westminster junior A Salmonbellies’ training camp this past week.
As the junior and intermediate programs mixed together with the season start just a month away, new head coach Todd Stockdale saw a lot of good things.
“You could see they were happy to be back indoors, happy to see their friends,” said Stockdale.
Although none were too familiar with him – having come over after serving the past handful of seasons as an assistant, then last year as head coach of the Coquitlam senior Adanacs – Stockdale could see what every successful program needs. Enthusiasm.
The Salmonbellies, who finished a disappointing 13-7-1 a year ago, enter a new phase under new coaches. Stockdale, joined by assistants Rich Catton and Bob Salt, believes in quick transition and run-and-gun.
It’s a long way from how he was schooled as a player some 20-odd years ago.
“When I was in junior you played both ways, you had to know how to handle both ends of the floor,” he reminisced. “You had to do a real good job at one end of the floor, and had to be able to keep up at the other.”
Times have changed.
This year’s Bellies camp was loaded with intermediate-aged players, with nine junior returnees still handling their collegiate commitments.
It means training camp is a chance to scout future prospects, find out who’s capable of filling in during the first part of the season, or even take that next step up. Stockdale saw plenty of candidates who could contribute, whether temporary or full-time.
“It’s kind of exciting. The intermediates here are quite a strong group, so I was surprised to see how many kids could step up and help us right now,” he said, reeling off sharpshooter Parker Johnson’s and Josh Bosher’s names for example.
Johnson led all New West intermediates with 36 goals. At the other end of the floor, Eric Kratz was a standout in net with a 9.13 goals against average while picking up 14 assists over 15 games.
With starting netminder Michael Flintoff has graduated, goalkeeping remains a key area to address. General manager
Warren Goss said a big priority is seeing how the organization’s young talent makes its case.
“We have some young goaltenders who we are expecting big things from this year,” said Goss. “Laiton Manuel, Erik Kratz and Nik Lund-Murray will battle it out early for the starting role.”
At the intermediate A level, New West was right on Coquitlam’s tail with a 14-4 record, but knocked their rival out in the provincial semifinal. The Salmonbellies ended up finishing second after falling 14-7 to Victoria.
While implementing game strategy will start soon, the focus for the next month is chemistry and fitness, said Stockdale.
“We just want to run, so that’s what we’ve done this first week,” he noted. “I ran them pretty hard the first few practices and there were a few sore guys the next few days, but in the end we’ve got to be the ones setting the pace.”
While the club only lost eight players, the likes of Alec Bohl, Brandon Clelland and Josh Byrne – even though he was available for only a handful of regular season contests – leave big holes.
Among the nine unavailable for the next six weeks or more are Jeremy Bosher, at the University of Denver, Carter Dickson, at Saint Leo University, and Johnny Pearson, at Ohio State.
It means a handful of veterans will receive bigger responsibilities as leaders.
“Players like Tyrell Hamer-Jackson, Jesse Gillespie and Mitch MacCaulay will be expected to set the tone until these players return. They are three key players and third-year juniors who we are expecting a great deal from this year -- both on and off the floor,” said Goss.
Although the opening game, May 3 against PoCo, is in the distance, Stockdale said there’s no time to waste.
“I’ve still got to learn about these players, and see some video of those (at school),” he said. “It’s hard to believe we’ve had five practices already and we’re one week closer to (the new season).”
The New West intermediate A’s begin the new year on April 29 in Ladner.
