Selects set to open campaign

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This article was published 29/09/2014 (3496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The curtain drops on the 30th season in the Manitoba ‘AAA’ Midget Hockey League this weekend. The Eastman Selects, who have been an integral part of the loop through most of those years, began play in the league in 1986.

Over the years the Selects, now based in Beausejour, have hung their hat in Ste Anne, Landmark and Steinbach. The Eastman Selects organization has also contributed two presidents to the league during its 30-year tenure, that being Maurice Chaput and Randy Wolgemuth.

Again, the league has 12 teams this year, all playing in one division, with the top eight teams qualifying for the playoffs.

The Selects, who open the regular season Saturday night at Morden against the Pembina Valley Hawks, played nine pre-season games, finishing with a 5-4 record. Eastman will play their home opener Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Beausejour as they host the Parkland Rangers.

The Selects had a storybook season last year. The worst team in the loop the previous year, coach Calvin Bugyik, who returned to the team in his second stint as coach, returned respectability to the organization. Fourth place finishers in the regular season, the Selects knocked off the pennant-winning Brandon Wheat Kings in a thrilling semi-final series, before losing in the league finals to the Winnipeg Wild.

Bugyik, back at the helm this year, says they have six returning players to the team and he expects the team to again be competitive.

The Selects will also be hosting the league Showcase Tournament, which will be played Oct.17-19 in Steinbach. Both arenas will be in use through the weekend as each of the 12 teams will play two games at The Showcase and some will play three, including the Selects. Eastman will take on the Central Plains Capitals Friday (Oct. 17) at 8:00 p.m., the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and the Pembina Valley Hawks Sunday at 3:00 p.m.