Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Nothing like a huge test right off the bat for the MacEwan Griffins men's hockey squad.
Just over a week after first reporting for training camp, the team heads into its first preseason contest on Wednesday night vs. the defending Canada West champion Alberta Golden Bears (7 p.m., Downtown Community Arena).
"Our players haven't had a chance to run through a whole bunch of reps from our systems, but we're just going to be focusing on good habits, being first to pucks and compete," said interim head coach Zack Dailey. "It's a good test for our guys, it's a good measuring stick for where we want to be, and I think guys are really excited to get going."
It will be the first of seven preseason games for the Griffins before opening the 2022-23 Canada West season on Sept. 30 vs. Regina (7 p.m., DCA, Canada West TV).
"It's good to be playing games right away, that way when you hit the first game of the regular season you've had seven games to perfect your craft," said Dailey. "I think the busy schedule is definitely a good thing for our group.
"It's a good way to raise our fitness level, as well, with two games every weekend. We're happy to be playing a lot of games and I think it will pay off for us early in the year."
They're playing three games this week with a home-and-home non-conference series with Mount Royal University (Saturday on the road and Sunday at the DCA, 3 p.m.).
The squad returns 17 players from MacEwan's inaugural Canada West season in 2021-22, including fourth-year veterans Cam Trott, Curtis Roach and Nic Correale. That group is infused with 10 newcomers, including NCAA transfers Ashton Abel, Merritt Oszytko and Marc Pasemko, and a cast of top talent from the WHL and AJHL.
"Lots of excitement, which is great to see," said Dailey of the early-days camp atmosphere. "I've seen a lot of speed and effort, which is also great to see. I think that we have a good mix of experience and some new guys who bring energy to the program. We've been really impressed with our new players and how they're integrating with our team."
This is a Griffins team aiming to take the next step after falling short of the playoffs in their inaugural Canada West season.
"We're ready to make another step in this league," said Dailey. "I think we did some good stuff last year and we're ready to build off that.
"New players are coming in here because they want to be part of a program that's successful. They want to be big parts of pushing our program to be successful. I know the guys who are returning have a year under their belts, they're more comfortable, they know what to expect. And the new guys have a whole bunch of energy and are looking to push the program forward.
"So, there's a lot of optimism out of our group and we're really excited to get going."