It's been a long time since the Dauphin Kings played a meaningful game. You could say the preseason is meaningful in the sense that it gives Doug Hedley and the entire organization the opportunity to pick the best players to represent the crest.
The Kings went 2-1 in the preseason but tonight, things get going for real as the curtain on the 2020-2021 MJHL regular season will officially open. The Kings find themselves on home ice against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
"We had a really good week of practice. The energy level was high and the guys are ready to get going," said Hedley, who is entering his third year as the team's head coach and general manager. "We haven't played for more than a week so it's great to be back in game action and we're ready to get going."
The word all preseason long was how deep of a team Dauphin will ice and it all starts with a first line that could be one of the best trios in the league. It includes Grady Hobbs, Vincent Nardone, and Koby Morrisseau. Nardone and Hobbs are both Division 1 commits while Morrisseau has played in the Western Hockey League and has shown in the past that he can take over a game.
Dauphin has decided to go with the goaltending duo of Matthias Smith and Mathias Savoie as Ian Lee was released last weekend. Smith will get the start in this evening's game after playing as a back up last season.
"That's what happens very often for goalies, they back up for a year and get that experience," said Hedley. "We're expecting big things from Smith and he's going to get that opportunity beginning on Friday night."
The Waywayseecappo Wolverines; meanwhile, will also ice a very good team. Jaymes Knee who led the team in scoring last year with 58 points is back while the team also added all-star forward Mackenzie Belinski in the offseason. Rayman Bassi will also return to the black and gold for the season. The Wolverines are coming off their second-best season in franchise history after they won 32 games last season under Taylor Harnett who has turned this program around.
"They're a team that works hard and they battle every shift," offered Hedley. "They have speed throughout their lineup and of course, we have to always be aware where Knee, Bassi, and Belinski are. I'm expecting it to be an extremely competitive game. The team that executes the most will have success."
Friday's game is the first of 40 this season for both teams and it's also the first of four straight between the Northwest Division rivals. They will rematch on Saturday at the Wayway Arena Complex before returning to Dauphin next Friday with the fourth game being played next Saturday in Waywayseecappo.
2019-2020 by the numbers:
Dauphin
GF - 223 GA - 213
Finished in seventh place with a record of 31-24-3-2
Top returning players - Grady Hobbs, Austin Lamotte, Nakodan Greyeyes, Cole DeKoninck, Matthias Smith, Kadin Ilott, Kaden Bryant.
Key offseason acquisitions - Parker Malchuk, Koby Morrisseau, Vincent Nardone.
Wayway
GF - 206 GA - 199
Top returning players - Rayman Bassi, Jaymes Knee, Reagan Rabbit, Conrad Phillips.
Key offseason acquisition - Mackenzie Belinski.
