The Cochrane Chaos are in their second day of camp and gearing up for their 20-21 season.

Over 30 girls of the junior female hockey team are in camp and are raring to go after last season was suspended partway through the southern final in March.

"What I found mostly is the girls are just anxious to get back on the ice, and get those team connections again and the friendships that are there and be together," says head coach Derek Loomer.

"It's been a long six months since we ended our season and not being able to be together and all the restrictions that have been in place, I think everyone is so relieved and so happy to just be able to get back out."

The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL) is tenatively scheduled to start their season the first week of November.

Regular season play will likely be against the four other teams in the south division of the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL). That allows them to work within the rules of Alberta Heath Services.

He says it will be a shorter regular season, followed by south division playoffs. When that championship is decided the winner will advance to the provincial final against the north division champs.

Loomer says they can't change the past but admits there was some disappointment in not being able to win their way into the provincial final for the third straight season. They were in the midst of a tight season with the Calgary Titans who were the team's Archilles heel all season.

"I thought we were really putting together for the full 60 minutes in the playoffs, and that's really what you have to do to beat those guys. 

"There was a lot of disappointment to not have that opportunity for one more game or two more games to complete our season. It is what it is, and we'll put that behind us, but there was a lot of girls who look at that and say they want another chance at it."

By January the team will have to cut down to a roster of 25 players. Among the toughest decision will be selecting which of their overagers will be able to stay with the club. They have five and only four can be carried.

"They've been the core of our teams for the last four years, going into five years, so we have to make a really tough decision on that group as far as who were not able to bring back," says Loomer.

"It's heartbreaking to let someone go just because of that, but that's the way our league is, and we knew that when we set out that there would be some tough decisions to be made."

But he's also impressed with promising prospects who will be joining the team this year.

"We have just over 30 girls in camp and we have great new prospects coming in. Most of our girls are returning from last year, so I expect us to be able to put together a pretty solid team again this year."

Camp continues tonight and tomorrow at the Cochrane Arena.