The 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Hockey League will be looking to sign five or more players from their upcoming training camp in Prince George this weekend.
“The Wranglers have made our tryouts into an exposure camp and will have players aged 15-20 from hockey levels such as; academies, minor hockey, Jr. B, as well as players currently playing at the Jr. A level,” said general manager and head coach, Dale Hladun. “We will also have coaches and scouts involved representing a few other KIJHL clubs as well as Jr. A programs from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.”
The three-day camp will be at the Elkcentre in Prince George, starting on July 19.
Hladun said the camp will have the players split into four teams and will include the veterans from last year’s campaign.
The players will be coming from as far east as White City, Sask. and as far west as Vancouver Island. Hladun said he would also add some local Jr. A players to ensure the pace of the camp is high.
“What I like doing is making it into a showcase, so there’s actually going to be some Jr. A and other Jr. B teams there,” said Hladun.
Some teams will be the Merritt Centennials and the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Swan Valley Stampeders of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Sicamous Eagles and Princeton Posse of the KIJHL. Other teams may also be there, but Hladun said he wasn’t sure until he “saw the whites of their eyes.”
“It helps the kids see that we like to move the kids on to Jr. A. Last year, Frazer Dodd got signed out of this camp by Merritt and Kevin Fillier got signed by La Ronge [Ice Wolves] out of this camp,” said Hladun.
The Wranglers will also host the Ridge Meadow Flames of the Pacific Junior Hockey League in two games for their preseason. The first game will be on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 1 at 1 p.m.
100 Mile House will also kick off their regular season at home, with a game against the Golden Rockets on Sept. 14.