Tyson Schmidt and Ryan Klinck of Olds are among several local hockey players being given the chance to make the Olds Grizzlys lineup after attending the team’s training camp that ended on Aug. 23.
Tyson Schmidt and Ryan Klinck of Olds are among several local hockey players being given the chance to make the Olds Grizzlys lineup after attending the team’s training camp that ended on Aug. 23.
Brett Hopfe, the team’s head coach, said the two players, who are trying to make the jump from midget A to junior A, would be skating with the team this weekend during Alberta Junior Hockey League exhibition play.
"They both work hard and they compete every time they step on the ice. Where they may lack is the quickness and the speed of the game. It’s a big jump going from single A (midget) hockey to junior A and the biggest jump is the speed and the quickness of how the plays develop. For the most part, both those guys work extremely hard," he said.
Hopfe said Schmidt is an offensive player who possesses good speed while Klinck is a hard-nosed player who will go into the corners and come out with the puck. Klinck also is the type of player who isn’t afraid to block shots or pay attention to small details, he added.
"Both guys are different players but bring something that we look for every time we look for a player, which is hard work and commitment," Hopfe said.
Hopfe said the club tries to get as many players as possible from the Red Deer to Calgary corridor, especially those that hail from within Mountain View County.
"We’ve been lucky to have some very good midget teams over the last couple years (in Olds) and they’ve produced some guys that, although it’s a very big jump to go from single A to junior A, they’re being given an opportunity to do that and it will be (up to them) whether they accomplish that or not," he said.
Klinck is attending his first Grizzlys camp and said he found it demanding, with players in better condition than what he’s experienced in the past in midget hockey.
"It’s been a good experience. It’s been tough," he said.
Klinck said he found veteran Olds player Spencer Dorowicz among other local players on the team to be great sources of inspiration and leadership, encouraging Klinck to work hard and give the best effort possible.
"The coaches want guys who are ready to give anything to make the team and (local players have) been good giving me encouragement like that," he said.
Schmidt said the camp has been more intense than what he’s used to. He attended last year’s Grizzlys camp but was cut after the rookie camp was over, so he was encouraged that he made it past the annual black and gold game to be among the final 40 players who will play during the exhibition games.
"It’s a great experience, way higher intensity than last year in midget," he said, adding he will continue to work hard in hopes of making the final cut for the regular season.
The Grizzlys are due to play exhibition games against league opponents from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 and a home-and-home series September 2 and 3 against the Drumheller Dragons. The Sept. 3 game is at the Olds Sports Complex. The regular season opens on Sept. 6 against the Calgary Canucks at the Olds Sports Complex. Game time for the regular season home opener is 7:30 p.m.
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