A new home, title sponsor, and jerseys are all part of the upcoming 40th season of the Cannex Cochrane Generals.

Plenty has happened in the background to build the roster and enhance the fan experience for the 2023-24 season of the junior club.

The opening of the main camp is less than 10 days and runs Aug. 17 and 20. A home-and-home exhibition series against the Wetaskiwin Icemen follows, with a game at the SLS Centre on Sept. 2. They've also added more regular practices to their schedule.

Head coach and general manager Kurtis Jones says there's a good reason why camp is opening a few weeks earlier than in the past.

"We just found that we didn't have enough time last year and we want to build. We want to get going with our team in the sense of guys knowing what to do, how to play, and what we're looking for."

It also opens the door to building relationships with players to come in advance of other junior and AAA camps.

Jones says the coaching staff has been scouting potential players since the spring. Camp registration cutoff was today (Aug. 8) and he anticipates 40 to 50 players will be participating.

That includes some international players, for whom the team is seeking billets.

"We may need three or four billets, two for sure. It would be nice for some families to help us out while we try to build our program here a little bit more." 

The Gens have been fortunate to have continuity in its coaching staff with both associate coach Erik Krigel and goalie coach Matt Greenham returning, as well as other key members of their organization.

Jones says Krigel is going to be playing a larger role this season. Krigel and Greenham are running the camp

"I'm there, obviously, but they'll be running the camp. We just want to make sure that we don't miss anybody and that we're not letting guys go if it's not necessary."

The Heritage Junior Hockey League is allowing teams to carry a roster of 25 this season, two more than last year. Unfortunately, they can still only keep four over-agers, and that means some members of last year's team will have to be cut.

"We have six on our roster from last year that are returning, and we can only keep four, so we're looking to fill some big holes here, for sure."

Making cuts like these are among the toughest decisions faced by coaches.

Jones is looking forward to returning to the SLS Centre from the Cochrane Arena, where they have played since the 2018-19 season. He says the move will help the club and hopefully allow them to work closer with Cochrane Minor Hockey.

"I love the old rink and stuff, but for the recruiting side of things and for the players, everything's there for us. There's a lot of foot traffic, and minor hockey is all through there, so it'll be good."

He also appreciates having Cannex Construction come on board as the title sponsor. More on that soon.

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