On the eve of training camp, the St. Albert Steel are more worried about themselves than the rest of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
"We don't care what the other teams do, we just want to focus on ourselves and get better each game we play," said Greg Parks, the Steel's head coach and general manager. "If we need to make adjustments, whether it's in goal or adding a top six forward or something like that, we'll certainly do it because we need to get into that second and third round of the playoffs. It's time to get something done so we're going to do everything we can and everything in our power to make sure that happens."
In the Steel's three-year history in St. Albert as the transplanted Fort Saskatchewan Traders, they have never advanced past the first round and are 3-9 in the playoffs. Last season they were swept in three games by the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, after finishing sixth out of eight teams in a division where all but one make the playoffs. Off that roster, 15 players are eligible to return when training camp opens Monday at Servus Credit Union Place.
"This will be their second or third year in the league and they're hungry to get to that second and third round," Parks said. "It's a pretty focused group that's really fired up. It's exciting to see."
Defence
The AJHL's third worst defensive team in 2009/10 has four defencemen back but question marks in net.
"It's no secret that we've struggled a little bit on the back end. We've always scored goals, we've just had a hard time keeping them out," Parks said.
Anchoring the blueline is Ryan Wilkinson, the Steel's top scoring D-man (23 points in 56 games), Dane Olsen, Jordan Abt, the team's rookie of the year, and the physical Jesse Altheim.
"Our back-end sets up as the best we've had since we've been in St. Albert. Those guys are all 19-year-olds. It's a good starting point for us," Parks said.
Potential candidates include Davey Randle from the Edge School academy in Calgary and midget AAA affiliates Zach Ovics (CAC) and Austin Yadlowski (SSAC), who will attend the Western Hockey League camp of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
A wild card is Kyle Aschim, a former Steel defender who played for the Calgary Hitmen last season. Aschim, who turns 20 in December, is expected to be sidelined for two months with a shoulder injury and his WHL status is uncertain.
Between the pipes
A handful of goalies combined for a 4.30 team goals-against average in the Steel's 24-win, 55-point campaign. The team was never the same when St. Albert product Mark Kotylak, 20, the anointed starter on the eve of training camp, quit before Christmas. Kotylak's backup, rookie Chris Sharkey, had his appendix removed a month before the playoffs. The Steel were forced to use affiliates in his place behind Chad Ketting (7-8-3, 3.93 GAA), who took over the starter's role after arriving after Christmas from the WHL.
The Steel ended the season with junior B callup Sean Reilly in net for games two and three in the playoffs after Ketting, 19, didn't play up to par in the series opener in Fort McMurray.
Reilly, 19, made his AJHL debut in the Steel's second-last game before the playoffs, and the Fort Saskatchewan product stopped 40 shots in a 6-3 win against Fort McMurray.
"He played really well for us in the playoffs," Parks said of Reilly's .901 save percentage, while stopping 64 of 71 shots in the two losses. "He had some great numbers in midget so he can play the game but we'll see if he can do it on a consistent basis."
Sharkey, 18, will try his luck in the WHL again, this time with the Spokane Chiefs after trying out with the Saskatoon Blades last fall. Sharkey (6-8-1, 4.32 GAA) wound up in St. Albert a month into the AJHL season and replaced Curtis Ronaldson as Kotylak's backup.
"Sharks was fairly inconsistent last year. He would be the first one to admit that but he is a year older now and healthy," Parks said of the CAC midget AAA product.
Logan Marlow from the Edge School and a couple of young local goalies are also in the mix.
"There should be some good competition. We'll see what transpires through the exhibition games," Parks said. "There is a lot of potential in net, but a lot of unknown there also."
In a move to help fix the defensive woes that have plagued the team since its first season in St. Albert, the Steel hired Dave McLennan to coach the goalies. He is the brother of former midget AAA St. Albert Raider and NHL goalie Jamie McLennan.
Forwards
The offensive attack will be spearheaded by all-star Reed Linaker, who turns 19 in November. The third-year Steel centre ranked second in team scoring and seventh overall in the AJHL with 81 points, on 37 goals and 44 assists in 58 games.
The next-highest-scoring returning forwards are 20-year-old Spencer Pommells (15-22-37 in 39 games) and 19-year-old Taylor Fraser (16-11-27 in 57 games).
"On paper maybe it looks like we're not going to score as many goals as before but some of the guys that played a lesser role last year are certainly going to have that opportunity to step up. Fraser scored 25 in midget [for the Raiders in 2007/08] and there is no reason he can't score some goals for us," Parks said.
"We have a lot of guys that could have breakout years. Fraser has the potential to have a super year for us. [Rugged winger] Baxter Niziol is another guy. Spencer had a great season for us, so if he can build on that he's certainly going to be a top six guy. We'll definitely take a look at him playing with Reed. That should be a pretty good duo to start. We'll also try and slot Fraser on right side and see how that goes."
Another top six forward is Topher Flanaghan, 19. The Edmonton product recorded 14 goals and 20 assists in 108 games in two seasons with the Canmore Eagles.
Derek Bacon, acquired from the Victoria Grizzlies over the summer, will centre the second line. The Calgary product is coming off a seven-goal and 30-point season. He turns 19 next month.
"We won't have a number-one line but there will be two lines. We'll try and go 1A and 1B and try and balance it out a little bit," Parks said. "Hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised up front."
Pre-season
Training camp next week will bring together 45 players, including prospects in bantam and midget.
"It's good evaluation for us. Ninety per cent of them won't be ready to play at this level but it's always nice to see how they handle it," Parks said. "We'll also have five or six players that will start out the year in the western league and then we'll see what happens when they come back."
The puck drops Aug. 27 for the Steel at 5 p.m. in Sherwood Park against the Spruce Grove Saints in pre-season tournament. On Aug. 28 in Spruce Grove the Steel play the Sherwood Park Crusaders at 9 a.m. and Drayton Valley Thunder at 5 p.m. The tournaments finals are scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 at Servus Place.
The Steel and Crusaders also have exhibitions on tap Sept. 2 in St. Albert and Sept. 4 in Sherwood Park at 7 p.m.
The AJHL's regular season opens Sept. 10, as the Steel hosts the Drumheller Dragons at 7 p.m.
