A charged atmosphere is what the Cochrane Generals are seeking in their new home at the old Cochrane Arena and with nearly 300 in the stands for their season opener, they appear to be on track.

A 4-1 loss to the Mountain View Colts on Sept. 29 showed the Generals have work to do on the ice, but it also served as a starting point to improve the overall game experience for fans and players alike.

With 1,000 seats, Totem One of the SLS Family Sports Centre can swallow the buzz of the crowd for regular-season play. Not so in the Cochrane Arena, where every cheer or jeer reverberates throughout the stands for both the home and visiting team.

“That’s what we really want to expect out of this year, especially for all the home games to give the boys something to be happy about seeing all the fans in the stands,” says Gens Head Coach Travis McMillan. “We want to put on a good show for the fans and play 60 hard minutes. Unfortunately, we didn’t meet that goal this evening, but we’ll be back to work on Tuesday."

The fans bellowed when Braden Bain struck first for the Gens, assisted by Zach Cugnet and Chris Sambrook, halfway through the first. The Colts fans took over when their team scored the equalizer minutes later, then tallied two unanswered goals in the second. An empty-netter in the dying seconds of the third rounded out the scoring.

Cochrane former NHLer Mason Raymond drops the puck to officially kick off the 2018-19 season for the Gens. Gens co-captain Brandon Aab, right, and Colts captain Alan Klinck took the face-off.

Shots of nets were 24-23 in favor of the Colts, but if weighed by scoring opportunities the Colts had the clear edge.

McMillan says the Gens were fired up for the first period but started to fizzle as the game went on.

“It’s always nice to have the ability to do an introduction for all the players and it’s great pomp and circumstance stuff, but once it came down to the wire we had trouble keeping up that temple,” says McMillan.

McMillan says the team will focus on working out the kinks in this week’s practices in preparation for three games this weekend.

This was game four in the Colts season, who are now 3-1, while it was the first for the Gens.

Did it give the Colts a foot up in their play?

“It probably tipped the scales just a little bit and they may have been a little more war-ready than us. We had two more weeks of practice, but practice is practice and you don’t really find out what needs to be ironed out until you play a 60-minute game.”

The team could be a little fatigued by the time their third game in three nights rolls around this weekend but there are some pluses.

“We have a short window to address all the things we need to tweak but having a three-game series in a weekend isn’t half bad. As soon as you finish one game you’re on to the next. You can address things right away, and work them through the rest of the weekend.”

One of those three games is at home. The Gens take on the Stettler Lightning on Sat. Oct. 6 at the Cochrane Arena. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

The Gens open the weekend against the undefeated high-flying Airdrie Techmation Thunder on the road on Friday and head to Coaldale on Sunday to face the Copperheads.

Mason Raymond Officially Opens Gens Season

NHL veteran and Olympic medalist Mason Raymond showed his hometown spirit by returning for the opener.

Raymond visited the Gens dressing room prior to the game to talk to the players before dropping the puck to officially kick off their 2018-19 campaign.

“He said a few words to the boys, which I think they really appreciated,” says McMillan

Raymond played many games at the old arena and attending the opening was likely a walk down memory lane. Until the recent paint job in the arena’s lobby, you could spot him in amongst the minor hockey team photos that graced the walls.

Raymond says he has hung up his skates and is taking on other ventures in Calgary.

He says he had received numerous offers to play but decided it was time to leave the game behind.

Raymond was drafted 51st overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft and went on to play 10 NHL seasons, most notably five with the Vancouver Canucks, before joining Bern SC in Switzerland for 2017-18.

Raymond won a bronze medal in the 2018 Olympics as a member of Team Canada and was part of two Canadian Spengler Cup championship teams.

Recognizing ‘Superfan’ Deidre Fennell

As part of their opening ceremony, the team took time to recognize long-time superfan Deidre Fennell.

Head Coach McMillan presented her with a plaque in appreciation for her support of the team.

Fennell doesn’t miss a game and was also a huge supporter of the club’s fundraising auction last February where she successfully bid on a number of the Gens top players.

Fennell is excited about the moving to the cozier Cochrane Arena, admiring both the quality sound and warmer stands.

But as a dedicated supporter, you know she’d be there no matter where they play.

“I’m super excited for this and I’m ready for the season.”

The game also saw both clubs use sock tape in the colours of the Humboldt Broncos and form a circle at centre ice prior to the game for a moment of silence in memory of the 13 who perished in the Apr. 9 collision and the 16 who sustained injuries.