Wings get first look at draft picks in main camp

Aberdeen head coach Scott Langer summed up the Wings' main training camp last month in Fargo, ND, quite succinctly.

“It's been a very good camp and now it's time to find out how our guys react when they get hit in the face,” he said.

The camp took place from July 25-28 and offered Langer and his team the first opportunity to see their draft picks in action.

“You get excited because you want to see what the draft and the recruiting process has brought,” Langer said. “You expect these guys to be elite in an environment like this, and that's why you're constantly on the lookout. You're looking for guys that can make the roster that you maybe didn't expect as much from.”

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What Langer particularly liked was the intensity shown by the players.

“We were excited about our draft and main camp is an important phase in our process of putting together a solid hockey team,” he said. “It was a good camp, no question. I thought the talent pool was pretty good, but all the games were extremely competitive and that's what you want to see. You want the guys to understand early on the effort they're going to have to put in if they want to make this team.”

Wingers have no experience in goal

When Adam Dybal committed to a return to Aberdeen, the Wings thought they had experience in their goalkeeping position, but he has since changed his mind.

“Goalkeeping is an interesting thing,” Langer said. “We didn't expect a player to leave us after choosing us more than once, but good luck with what you plan to do.”

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As a result, the Wings will have three goalies in fall camp when it opens on September 1 at Odde Ice Center.

“We recruited a player from Quebec who did a really good job. We had a kid in camp who stood out and played really well, and a young guy, in 2006, who wanted to come to Aberdeen and played really well,” Langer said. “Those three will compete in our last camp. Most of the time only two guys can stay here, so we'll see how that plays out.”

Two new Central Division teams change the travel format, but not the playoff format

This season, there will be two new teams in the Central Division as the Watertown Shamrocks and the Minnesota Mallards begin play.

The Shamrocks are about 100 miles from Aberdeen, while the Mallards play in Forest Lake, Minnesota, north of the Twin Cities – about 300 miles from the Hub City.

“It obviously cost us more travel,” Langer said. “The addition of Watertown was a good thing, but then when we added the Mallards, the whole schedule changed because now you have a long trip. It's junior hockey, so you expect to be on the road. With the two new teams, you play less against (the more well-known) teams now, which I think is a good thing. Playing teams 12 times a year is not great, especially when you play all your games in the division.”

Although there are now eight teams in the Central Division, as in previous seasons, only four reach the playoffs.

“I think it makes for a lot more competition in the games when you have four teams fighting for a playoff spot at the end, especially in such an extremely competitive division,” Langer said. “Some divisions have playoffs. I mean, it's kind of weird that our league has different playoff formats for each division to get to the Robertson Cup at the end. I probably don't want to go down that route, but to me, four teams (in the playoffs) makes a division very competitive.”

Friendly matches will test the Wings’ talent and leadership

In order to evaluate the players and put together a coherent squad, Langer has scheduled four test matches.

The Wings will host the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on Friday, September 7 at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday, September 8 at 5:00 p.m. The Wings will also play a home-and-away series with Watertown on Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14. The September 14 game is a home game and kicks off at 7:15 p.m.

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“The most important thing for these guys is to become a team as quickly as possible,” Langer said. “That's why we added the exhibition games only after a week of practice. The guys have to understand that this is a competitive environment and I think it's important to get those games in right away so the guys understand what it takes to be a wing and, more importantly, to stay a wing.”

Aberdeen will finalize its roster after fall camp, which ends after the series with Estevan.

The Wings open the regular season with three games at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota. They will play the Chippewa Steel on Wednesday, September 25th at 7:00 p.m., the Northeast Generals on Thursday, September 26th at 1:45 p.m. and the El Paso Rhinos on Saturday, September 28th at 9:30 a.m.

In recent years, NAHL teams have played four games in the showcase.

Aberdeen opens its 15th season at home on Friday, October 4th at 7:15 p.m. against Watertown at Odde Ice Center.