Neepawa Natives coach pleased with training camp intensity
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- Published on Thursday, September 8, 2016
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
There’s a growing sense of confidence in the hallways of the Yellowhead Centre when it comes to the Neepawa Natives. For anyone who witnessed the junior ‘A’ team’s training camp, last weekend, that feeling of renewed optimism is well warranted.
Just under 100 players hit the ice over the labour day long weekend, hoping to make a good impression and earn a spot in the lineup for the team’s 28th season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Head coach Dustin Howden said that it was a good camp and that the skill level out on the ice appeared to be up from previous years.
“You could see that hard work of the scouting staff really shine through with the exceptional effort from the younger prospects. [The scouts] have put in a lot of time to find these players and it’s paying off in a big way. That puts this club in a good position for years to come. The 2001 age group was very good. We were very excited about what we saw out there, so the future looks bright for the Neepawa Natives,” stressed Howden. “As for the immediate future, our returning players came into camp determined. It’s good to see that their skill set is continuing to improve and that they’ve developed as players. All in all, camp was very competitive.”
A few decisions must still be made in regard to the final roster. Howden said that the remaining games of the exhibition schedule will go a long way towards deciding who sticks around for the regular season.“Where we are at right now [in terms of the roster], we’re comfortable with who we have kept around. There is always some moving parts at this time of the year, though. Potentially, other players, who couldn’t be at camp either due to injury or participating in major junior camps or other commitments, will be available. There is still a lot that can change between now and the start of the regular season. We’re always looking to improve our hockey team, so if you’re a player and you’ve made it to this point, now is not the time to get complacent. I want to see guys compete. It’s the same thing I said to them at the start of training camp. We expect them to keep the intensity level up high in the pre-season.”
As for the remaining exhibition schedule, Neepawa has two home games remaining; Saturday, Sept. 10 versus Winkler and Saturday, Sept. 17 against Dauphin. The club’s MJHL regular season will begin on Friday, Sept. 23, when the Natives will host the Winkler Flyers.
