The Bantam A Rep Blues are showing improvement and played better hockey last weekend, picking up a 3-3 tie against the North Shore Winter Club and dropping a 7-4 loss at home.
The team is a quarter of the way through its pre-season placement round, which determines placing for the start of regular season play next month.
The team this year is young with lots of potential for growth and development.
“Our objectives for the early part of the season are to develop skills and find a style of play that best suits our group,” said head coach Albert Bezaire. “Currently, we see great displays of skill, heart, effort and mentorship. We have not learned to work together as a unit yet, but this will come.
“The placement round has been a steep learning curve for a lot of the team. I have seen great improvement throughout, not necessarily on the scoreboard, but the decision-making, the passing and the positioning have improved dramatically. At this learning rate the rest of the season looks positive.”
On-ice practices are twice a week, plus an off-ice session at Valhalla Strength and Conditioning in Sechelt. The team training session brings the boys together where they push each other to be faster and stronger, both mentally and physically. They work hard and enjoy these sessions.
The Blues will be competing in the Bantam A Remembrance Day Challenge Tournament in Coquitlam against other tier three teams from around the Pacific Northwest. The upcoming tournament will bring the boys and parents together with the ultimate goal for the boys to develop their team game, compete hard and, of course, have a ton of fun!
