The Olds Grizzlys have officially come out of hibernation, with a split record in their exhibition series last week, and are now looking forward to their first regular season games under a new ownership and coaching staff.
"I'm optimistic, we'll say," said head coach Adam Redmond. "At the end of the day we're going to compete and definitely give every team a run for their money."
"It's just pure excitement for me; I am ready to get the season going," said associate coach Joe Murphy. "Exhibition season is one thing ñ guys are trying out. But there's nothing quite like games that matter, that elevate the club."
EXIBITION SERIES
The Grizzlys netted two wins and two losses in their exhibitions, splitting a two-game series with Drayton Valley, then grabbing a win against Okotoks before closing with a loss to Drumheller last Wednesday.
"I thought we played really well, with a half and half roster of rookies and veterans," said Redmond, who is still ironing out a final roster, and has until the first regular season game on Sept. 17 to cut his roster to 25 players.
"We just want to make sure some of the rookies are the right guys," he said.
Rookie prospect Linden Babcock, of Calgary, who played in three of the exhibition games, said the team has gotten better with each game.
"It's tough right now because we don't have a full team, so we're trying to get used to playing with one another," he said, "but I definitely think we have the right pieces."
"I think we are more than capable of being a playoff team," he added.
"It was definitely way better than last year," said third-year Grizzly Jeremy Klessens. "We just had a lot more structure already."
"We have so many returning players," he said. "We know how we play, we just did the same thing as last year for the first couple games, and it worked."
But Klessens knows there are some challenges ahead.
"For the first couple of games I think we've got to get our feet under us," he said. "We're not 100 per cent healthy yet, but once we are, we'll be one of the top teams in the league, I think."
ILLNESS AND INJURIES
Coach Redmond said not only do the Grizzlys have a tough schedule from the get-go ñ eight games in the span of 16 days, the first against top-ranked teams Whitecourt and Brooks ñ but, unfortunately, they're also going into the season short-handed.
The Grizzlys already have 10 players on the sidelines due to injuries and illnesses, including captain Chase Olsen and Hayden Struik, who are both recovering from mono, several players with the flu, and Jared Power, working his way back from surgery. Redmond doesn't expect any will be ready for the first regular season game against the Calgary Canucks next Sunday.
"We're a bit banged up," he said. "We've got an uphill battle."
The Grizzlys also lost top scorer from last season Tyr Thompson, to the Whitecourt Wolverines, but picked up six foot three inch right-winger Estian Coetzee in exchange.
SEASON GOALS
Redmond said the goal for the season is to stay in the top half of the standings.
"I think coming in, those first 20 games, if we are 500, we're doing really well," he said.
"It's a challenge ñ we don't have an easy schedule either," said Redmond. "They're gonna have their work cut out for them. The key is just being optimistic and coming here and working as hard as we can, day in and day out, and not taking the day off, ever." LAST PLACE PREDICTION
Redmond said overall, he's pretty happy with the exhibition performances, considering informal AJHL pre-season predictions are ranking them dead last in the south division. But the Grizzlys aren't biting.
"Honestly, we just don't think too much about it," said Babcock. "We use it as motivation to try and prove them wrong."
"Obviously, when someone tells you, you're gonna be last place, it lights a fire up your butt there," said Redmond.
"All that is just fuel for us," he said. "With guys like Ryley and Chase and Jared and (James) Orban, we've got a good core group back, and like I say, we're not going to be as bad as people think."
"It's not going to change overnight," he added. "We might struggle coming out of the gates, but it's how we grow."
"If we're resilient and we have the character that I think we do, I think we'll be OK."
GRIZZLYS EXHIBITIONS
Aug. 30 Olds Grizzlys (1) Drayton Valley Thunder (4)
Sep. 1 Drayton Valley Thunder (3) Olds Grizzlys (5)
Sep. 2 Olds Grizzlys (5) Okotoks Oilers (3)
Sep. 6 Olds Grizzlys (2) Drumheller Dragons (5)
GRIZZLYS REGULAR SEASON
Sep. 1 7 (2:30 p.m.) Olds Grizzlys at Calgary Canucks
Sep. 22 (7:00 p.m.) Whitecourt Wolverines at Olds Grizzlys
Sep. 24 (7:00 p.m.) Calgary Canucks at Olds Grizzlys
Sep. 26 (7:00 p.m.) Brooks Bandits at Olds Grizzlys
"Obviously, when someone tells you, you're gonna be last place, it lights a fire up your butt there."HEAD COACH ADAM REDMOND
