Warriors set to open KJHL campaign

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This article was published 04/10/2017 (2392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Following on the heels of a season that saw the St. Malo Junior Warriors posted the best overall regular season record in the Keystone Junior Hockey League last year, longtime head coach and GM Ralph Collette admits it might be difficult to duplicate that feat this year, but insists they are up to the challenge.

After a month-long training camp that saw them play four exhibition games along the way, the Warriors will drop the puck on the 2017-18 KJHL campaign Friday night at St. Malo as the Warriors entertain the Arborg Ice Dawgs in the season opener beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Although local scoring stars Riley Hunter and Jared Magne are among the players that have graduated from the team this year, there still are about a dozen returnees to anchor this year’s group, led by forward Jared Hunter.

Hunter, who is from St. Malo, is one of five players on the team from the area, which also includes Robert Guimond from Woodmore, Hayden Hildebrand from Steinbach, Gavin Pott from Grunthal and Brandon Stratton from Morris.

In goal this year will be David Allarie, who hails from Laval, Quebec, in his second season with the club along with rookie netminder Brady Klassen from Winkler.

Collette says the Warriors, who were eliminated in last spring’s playoffs in a seven-game semi-final series with the Peguis Juniors, will be a little younger this year compared to last year’s squad. In four pre-season games, the club had a win, two regulation time losses and an overtime loss.

As far as projections this season, with it traditionally being a fairly balanced league, he says “any team that finishes .500 or better in the regular season should have a chance come the playoffs.

Returning to the club this year is coach Dennis Senebald, after a one-year stint as head coach of the Manitoba ‘AAA’ Midget Hockey League’s Eastman Selects. Senebald will be a co-coach of the team along with Collette. Rounding out the coaching staff are assistant coaches are Chris Baldoke and Mike Boles.

Collette said having Senebald back as a co-coach is a welcome addition as it takes a little of the workload off of him. Collette, who has been with the team for more than 20 years, is the longest serving coach in the KJHL.

The same 10 teams are back competing in the KJHL this season, divided into three divisions. Joining the Warriors in the South Division are the Lundar Falcons, North Winnipeg Satellites and Selkirk Fishermen. The Central Division includes the Arborg Ice Dawgs, Peguis Juniors and Fisher River Hawks. Rounding out the league are the North Division’s Cross Lake Islanders, OCN Storm and Norway House North Stars.

Each team will play a 34-game schedule. The Warriors will play all their home games at St. Malo this season on Friday and Saturday nights.

Following their season opener this Friday at St. Malo against Arborg, they will have one week off before returning to action Oct. 13 at home as they entertain the Fisher River Hawks.