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Broncos compete at fall camp

The Humboldt Broncos are officially back, making the latest steps in their reuilding effort with their annual fall training camp.
Broncos camp
Humboldt natives Blake Berschiminsky (left) and Mitchell Girolami hoist the Elgar Petersen Cup after helping Team Gold knock off Team Green 3-2, bringing the Broncos’ 2018 fall training camp to a close.

The Humboldt Broncos are officially back, making the latest steps in their reuilding effort with their annual fall training camp.

The three-day camp, which came earlier this year, saw nearly 80 players from all over Western Canada, and parts of the United States descend upon the Elgar Petersen Arena Aug. 24-26.

With many roster spots up for grabs, the three-day camp featured a competitive atmosphere, which Broncos head coach Nathan Oystrick was pleased to see.

“A lot of players competed and that’s what we’re looking for. That was our main thing this weekend was compete level. We definitely saw some skill but the biggest part was the guys showed up, they did what they were asked,” he said.

“We had individual meetings (Aug. 24) and everyone we talked to that stayed around in this green and gold game did what we asked of them so it was definitely nice to be back on the ice.”

Of course, with competition at a high, the Broncos staff were left to sift through the 80 players, to first find the top 40, and then the 30-32, plus three goalies who would make the team out of camp, something Oystrick said would not be easy.

“That’s always a good thing. They made it hard on us, so as a coach you’re happy about that.”

Of course, the camp was a little more difficult for the first year Broncos head coach, having seen next to none of the players before, leaned heavily on his scouting staff.

“We have a great group of scouts and an assistant general manager who I trust. They’re open and honest and that’s all I can ask for,” he said.

Of course, camp also featured a unique feeling, being the first since the accident, and Oystrick admits it was not until close to the end where it started to feel normal.

“When they went out for warm-ups and the tunes started playing, me and one of our scouts kind of looked at each other and said ‘woah, goosebumps.’ That was definitely a cool moment tonight,” he said.

“But every training camp’s different in its own way anyway. I’ve been to a lot in my life as a player and as a coach and they’re all different. This one was definitely special so it’s one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

The camp, which featured four teams and six scrimmages, wrapped up with the annual green and gold game, where the Elgar Petersen Cup was handed out once again.

After a scoreless first period, the teams came alive in the second scoring five times.

After a scoreless third period, it was Team Gold who snuck away with a 3-2 win.

Having such a competitive camp end with such a close game was nice to see, says Oystrick, who notes that is a credit to the players.

“They competed this whole weekend, they worked hard and it goes to show that they came here ready to go, had good summers and were excited to be here.”

With camp now complete, the next step for Oystrick and his staff was to pick a team, and while he said he was not sure exactly how it would look, he did note he had an idea for how he wanted the team to be constructed.

“For me as always, it’s the compete level. We’ve got guys who can score, we’ve got guys who can defend but collectively we’re going to be a team that competes and works hard every night and puts pressure on the other teams. So we’re going to try to build a roster around that.”

With tough decisions looming, Oystrick said he was pleased with where his team was at, and said the work begins now for the club.

“We’ve got a week of practice here before we head to Alberta and then another week of practice before our two exhibition games. I don’t think we’re going to reinvent the wheel in those two weeks but I think there can be a lot of changes and we’ll see what happens.”

The Broncos play four exhibition contests, including a pair in Peace River, Alta. as they take on the Whitecourt Wolverines on Sept. 1 and the Grande Prairie Storm on Sept. 2.

The green and gold then wrap up their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home against the Melfort Mustangs, with the Broncos playing host on Sept. 7 and the Mustangs returning the hospitality the following evening.

The season gets underway for real for the Broncos on Sept. 12 when they welcome the Nipawin Hawks to town.