The two-time defending ACAC champion RDP Kings hockey team will have bit of a new look this season.
The Kings have eight new faces on the roster, more than usual, according to head coach Trevor Keeper.
“It’s a little above average,” he said. “In general, there’s usually a turnover of six to eight guys in university hockey.
“Still, we have 17 or 18 guys back, so a good core.”
The majority of the eight players they lost were up front in team scoring leader Jake Wozney, captain and first-line centre Chance Longjohn, Regan Doig, Erik Miller, Hayden Clayton and Jaxon Steele.
There is a chance Miller, who signed a pro contract in Belgium, will be back.
Also graduating are goaltender Arik Weersink, who was brilliant in the playoffs the last two seasons, and defenceman Layne Toder.
Still, three of the team’s top five scorers — Nolan Doell, Ryland McNinch and Holden Knights — are returning.
Doell and McNinch finished the season with 25 points each and Knights had 18. Wozney had 30 and Longjohn had 23.
Keeper is looking for the returnees to take over for the veterans, who moved on.
“To be able to win in any sport you usually lose out before you win a championship. Once that starts to happen you have players who carry the torch from the previous guys you lost.
“Now the guys in the middle are stepping up. They have the experience and take the responsibility on.”
Others returning are Sean Michalevich, Dawson Leroux, Deegan Mofford, Chase and Easton Haygarth and Liam Stalwick
There was talk at the end of last season that the Haygarth twins may be moving on as well.
“It’s good to have them back. I expect them to have a good season. As well Easton will move back up front after having to play for us on the blueline late last year.”
Four of the new faces are forwards including two familiar to Central Alberta fans in Kasey Hiemstra and Kody Willick.
Hiemstra, out of Big Valley, played junior with the Drumheller Dragons and Olds Grizzlys before finishing his Alberta Junior Hockey League career with the Blackfalds Bulldogs in 2022-23. Last year he played with the Mount Royal University Cougars.
Willick, who is from Saskatoon, played with the Dragons before joining the Bulldogs where he was the captain the last two seasons.
The other two rookies are Alex Bernauer of Saskatoon and Clay Sleeva of Canora, SK.
Bernauer moved around playing with the Grande Prairie Storm, OCN Blizzard, the El Paso Rhinos of NAHL, and finally the Nipawin Hawks, where he had 12 goals and 22 assists in 41 games.
Sleeva played three years with the Yorkton Terriers before being traded to the Melfort Mustangs last season. He had 15 goals and 22 helpers in 24 games during the regular season then helped the Mustangs reach the gold medal game of the Centennial Cup, losing 1-0 to the Collingwood Blues.
“All four have lots of skill and lots of speed, they fit right in for the guys we lost,” said Keeper.
Keeper has third-year netminders Kristan Lyon and Evan Fradette returning.
Fradette posted a 2.39 goals-against-average (GAA) and .911 save percentage last season while Lyon had a 2.89 GAA and .904 save percentage.
“With Arik we lost a lot of leadership in net especially to win games,” said Keeper. “The others have been here for three years and they need to step up and fill Weersink’s shoes. And we added a good first-year goalie too.”
The third netminder is Joel Favreau, a 22-year-old native of Prince Albert, who played two-years of junior with Melfort before joining SUNY - Geneseo (the State University of New York in Geneseo), a NCAA Div III school, last season.
Defensively the Kings have six veterans, including second team All-Conference Tanner Sklaruk.
Brennan Davis, who missed all but seven games last season with an injury, is back healthy while Ty Ettinger, who was also injured and missed the second half of the season, is also returning, although not until the second semester.
Also back are Jarod Newell, Kevin Minnoch and Tyson Janzen.
Keeper added three rearguards, including Tristan Baumung from Sundre.
Baumung played three years with the Grizzlys, before being traded last season to the Spruce Grove Saints.
“He was captain in Olds and the Saints were looking for some experience on the back end,” said Keeper.
The other two new defencemen are Nathan DeGraves and Tyson Perkins.
DeGraves, a native of Sherwood Park, comes out of the Kindersley Klippers organization, where he had two solid offensive seasons.
Perkins, listed at six-foot-four, 200-pounds, is a native of Lethbridge who played three years with Yorkton.
“They add balance to the back end and some offence,” said Keeper. “DeGraves is like Sklaruk. He has good edges and good vision. All three are a good mix to building a new team with some modifications.”
Last year the Kings started slowly before stepping it up in the second half.
“We had a subpar first half as we were undefeated in the preseason and coming off a championship season I think everyone took it a bit casual before picking it up in the second half,” said Keeper. “This year there’s talk about three-peat and they know it’s a long season and know what it takes to defend their title.”
Keeper has added Wozney to the coaching staff, joining Trevor Castello and Terry Welch and Cody Reynolds.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter and member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame who can be reached at danrode@shaw.ca
