Wildcats expect strong winter team
For several seasons, the Valley Wildcats have been a team of the future. For the 2021-22 Maritime Hockey League season the club is hoping that future has arrived.
The MHL is home to players ranging from as young as 16 or 17 years old up to 20.
To encourage the development of younger players, teams are limited to eight 20-year olds on their rosters. While no team's roster for the upcoming season is set in July, Wildcats general manager Brandon Benedict expects to ice a veteran squad this year in Berwick.
“I think it's pretty evident that next year we won't have a young team,” says Benedict. “We'll finally be at that 20year old limit. And we have a nice 19-year-old group as well. This is our strongest core since I've been here.”
Benedict, who is also the team's head coach, acknowledges he'll have an experienced and talented group on paper, but that doesn't mean he's content to sit back and wait for September. It might be the middle of summer, but Benedict is constantly looking to improve the team.
“I think our core group is really strong coming back, but I will say that we're still looking to get better. There's a lot of time on the phone, lots of time reaching out to agents and coaches throughout the country, looking for prospects who might want to come to the Valley and play. We're looking for impact guys to come in and push each other to be better.”
The 2020-21 MHL season was cut short in the spring due to rising COVID-19 numbers at the time. New Brunswick was able to have full playoffs and determine a provincial champion, but that didn't happen in Nova Scotia, and the Wildcats players haven't forgotten about it.
“You want to take your time to reset from the season that just passed, but it's hard not to look forward to August and September and think about that potential,” says Wildcats defenceman Brant King.
The Lower Sackville native was an assistant captain with the team last year, which was his second season in Berwick.
“It's not a hidden fact that most of the same team's going to be returning. We were mostly 18 and 19-year-olds, so we'll have the same core returning.”
A defensive specialist who blocks more shots than some goalies, King says a little experience can make a big difference.
“You don't think there's that much of a difference between being 18 and 20, but the experience in the league, it does make a difference. You see playing against the teams this year that were maxed out on 20-year-olds, just the sense of maturity in their game.”
Every season, teams hope to win a championship, but this coming season provides a unique opportunity. The Summerside Western Capitals will be hosting the Fred Page Cup, which is the Eastern Canadian Junior A Championship tournament. The Capitals are in automatically as the host team, but a second MHL team will also qualify. It's something that Benedict says stays in the back of his mind.
“It's nice knowing that there will be two teams from our league in the Fred Page Cup. There's an opportunity there. We've got to make sure we do the work in the summertime to make our team better.”