WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

'We're Ready to Go': Warriors Set to Open Training Camp this Week

Published on September 7, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


It's been two years since the Moose Jaw Warriors have hosted players at Mosaic Place for training camp, but that changes this week as the team prepares to welcome in 46 players, starting on Tuesday.

"There's a lot of excitement," Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said. "Just coming into the rink every day with the ice getting put in, it's cold in the rink, kids are starting to come in and everybody's got a smile on their face, we're ready to go."

The Warriors played their last game at their home rink on Mar. 10, 2020 and then spent last season in the Subway WHL Hub in Regina.

Ripplinger said it's nice to be returning to as normal as possible during a global pandemic.

"This way, we get to have meetings one-on-one, you don't have to social distance, so it's starting to become a reality and become real again," he said.

This year's training camp will be slightly different than in years past with only 46 players attending, which is about half of the number of players that would normally be invited.

Ripplinger said that means plenty of ice time for everyone as they look to make an impression.

"It's going to be competitive," he said. "Our whole team's coming back pretty much, except for the 20-year-olds from last year, so it's going to be competitive, guys are going to have to compete to keep their jobs.

"This is a kind of an odd training camp where everybody has a chance to make the team this year."

Brayden Yager, the third overall pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, played 24 games in the Hub as an affiliate player, but with no training camp last year, this will be the first opportunity for the Warriors' brass to get a look at the players taken in the last bantam draft since they joined the organization.

"It will be interesting to see where their development is over the last two years," Ripplinger said.

Outside of Yager, the players in the 2005 age group attending training camp didn't play more than seven games last season due to the pandemic.

Ripplinger said he will be paying close attention to the team's fitness testing, which opens training camp on Wednesday morning, to see who put in the work during the time away from the ice.

"They're going to have to come into camp here and just prove to us that they've kept their body in good shape," he said.

The 16 and 17-year-old age groups make up more than half of the Warriors' training camp roster with 11 and 14 players, respectively. Ripplinger is expecting those 25 players to put the pressure on the older players as they look to steal roster spots.

"I expect these guys to play hard and try to earn a spot," he said.

The players will begin attempting to impress on and off the ice on Tuesday when the Warriors open training camp. The first on-ice sessions are on Wednesday afternoon with practices at 2 and 3:15 p.m.

The team will host scrimmages starting on Thursday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Click here for the full camp schedule.

Check out the Moose Jaw Warriors Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from September 7, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central