The Battlefords AAA Sharks returned to the ice over the weekend for their spring camp in North Battleford. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Bright future ahead

AAA Sharks see strong turnout at spring camp

Apr 25, 2022 | 2:10 PM

Over 80 hockey players from around the region came out to the Battlefords AAA Sharks spring camp over the weekend, signaling a bright future for the local female U18 hockey program.

Taking place at the Don Ross Arena in North Battleford, scrimmage games ran throughout the day Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m., then again Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Head coach, Ricci Girolami said the strong turnout only bodes well for the program and the players – making for a competitive on-ice product.

“The turnout was phenomenal, and we actually had to close registrations just because we didn’t have enough ice to accommodate all the people interested in coming,” he said. “When you fill up like that it’s a great thing that shows our organization is doing something right, and there was a lot of great talent out there which was great to see.”

Adding to the competition at camp is the limited roster spots available, as Girolami and his staff run a three-line forward system, with an emphasis on increased opportunity for all, rather than a more traditional four-line approach.

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“Our club is more about developing kids, and as a team we want these young players to succeed and see lots of ice to improve,” Girolami said. So we do have a smaller roster, but that’s the way we want to develop these young athletes to help them get to the next level.”

Also featuring between 10 and 12 2008-born prospects, the Sharks’ turnout this year was a welcome return to normalcy, after a challenging last two years, when the team saw camp numbers limited to as few as eight on the ice total at a given time, due to the pandemic.

“That first year of COVID we hadn’t even known if there would be hockey, so our camp was later, and then the year after that we were only able to have eight skaters on the ice, so again that really put a hindrance on our ability to feel the whole league out,” Girolami said. “That made it really tough, so we’re glad to have things much more back to normal again now.”

The Sharks are expected to determine their roster for the 2022-23 season in the coming weeks, giving the team a chance to gel together through team-building activities and fundraisers over the summer, in lead-up to the start of the fall season in September.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1