The newest Junior B team in Prince Albert had a name, had their first batch of signings, and had an arena to play out of. They just needed someone at the helm, and a schedule of games to play. They now have both.
The Prince Albert Timberjaks announced Wednesday they’ve named Moe Lemire as the first head coach in team history. They also announced they were bringing on Kim Issel as their first-ever associate coach.
“Moe has experience coaching in the minor hockey ranks,” said Ken Malenfant, president and governor of the Timberjaks. “He was actually an assistant coach to Tim Leonard in their first cup run when they (the Mintos) won the first TELUS Cup. He brings a ton of experience.”
The coach wasn’t the only announcement for the team this week either. They know now when their season will officially begin, with the opener coming on home ice against the Saskatoon Quakers, on Thursday, Sept. 28.
“The players are calling and saying, hey, the schedule is up,” Malenfant said. “The home schedule looks good. The away schedule looks great. I haven’t heard anything negative about it. Fifteen of our 20 home games are going to be played on Fridays or Saturdays, which is great for us.”
After the opening game against the Quakers, the Timberjaks are back on home ice the very next night, hosting the Saskatoon Royals.
There are still a few items to tick off before the season can begin, including the impending release of the team’s new logo, which Malenfant is excited about. Then there will be some ice times and fitness testing for the players throughout the summer.
“We’re going to kick off our camp and preseason social affair with a cabaret,” said Malenfant. “It’s scheduled for Friday, August 25 at Buckland Arena… then fall camp starts the following day.”
Malenfant added that while they’ve committed to quite a few players, there will be opportunities for other players to make the team out of their fall camp.
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