Head coach Terry Moser is confident the St. Albert Merchants will have a better season than the previous disappointing campaign.
The junior B squad finished 11-25-0-2 in the Capital Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which put them sixth out of seven teams in the west division. They also gave up an average of 5.39 goals per game, last in the division and 13th out of 14 teams overall.
Moser became the Merchants’ head coach in December after the resignation of first-year bench boss Adam Sharpe. Under Sharpe’s watch the Merchants were 7-17-0-2 in the standings and 1-11-0-1 on home ice. The team also had to default a Dec. 6 game in Spruce Grove because of a lack of players.
Moser initially came on board with the Merchants as an assistant coach. Prior to joining St. Albert, he worked in Victoria, B.C, and was the head coach of a peewee AAA team and an assistant coach on the local junior B team.
Moser said that last season, just like with family, there are always some disagreements, but some of those issues might have carried out onto the ice.
“Sometimes when the differences are not solved in a positive way for both parties, sometimes that can cause issues and further challenges,” he said. “I think what happened in the dressing room radiated to the ice and snowballed from there.”
Coming into training camp, the outlook is much more optimistic. Moser was expecting a few more than 30 players, but at the first session at Akinsdale Arena on Monday, about 50 showed up. It was a big change from what Moser called a disappointing turnout at tryouts last year.
“This year, I can guarantee you it’s going to be very tough making the decisions and there are several, and I mean several players that are so close in skill, what they bring to the team and just the whole package,” he said. “It’s going to be very difficult. It’s not going to be an easy process for the coaching staff.”
Of the 50 some players trying out, nine are returnees, including assistant captain Chris Clark. There are also five 21-year-olds, but CJHL teams can have a maximum of four over-agers. Moser is not yet sure how many 21-year-olds the Merchants will keep on their final roster.
Moser and his coaching staff are looking for “the total player” that will help bring back the strong tradition of past Merchants teams.
“We want to look to put together a total package that is both entertaining for the people to come out and watch, and is also enjoyable for the players. We want to put a good, competitive product on the ice,” he said. “We’re looking to bring back that Merchants quality again where the local fans are very supportive [and] they’re excited to come watch the games.”
Joining Moser on the bench will be associate coach Wes Werhun, a former St. Albert Saints’ standout who coached the midget AA St. Albert Crusaders to a provincial championship in 2009.
“He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the game to the Merchants.”
Also helping out will be recent Merchants’ graduates Mike Lutes and Andy Chapman. The pair joined the team as assistant coaches in December when Moser took over the reins.
“They love hockey and the players can relate to them because of their age and they can also relate to the fact that they’ve played the game,” Moser said. “They’ve played Merchants hockey and just recently too. They know the league and their knowledge of the other teams is invaluable and they bring that to the arena for every game and every practice.”
Tryouts end Sept. 15. The Merchants open the regular season in Spruce Grove Sept. 17. Their home opener at Akinsdale is Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. against the Stony Plain Flyers.
Throughout the season, all the CJHL teams will have their sights set on a spot in the Keystone Cup, the junior B western Canadian championship hosted by the Sherwood Park Knights.
