Junior hockey leagues across Canada tend to be transient places for aspiring players.
Coaches and their teams are used to young, talented players joining their respective organizations and playing for one season, maybe two if they are lucky, before being scouted and graduating onto higher and more elite levels of hockey.
Jason McKee, the head coach of the Spruce Grove Saints, one of the 16 teams in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, understands that with the end of the season comes the realization that many players will not be returning next year.
This season, with just nine players returning to the Saints’ lineup, the coaching staff is looking to fill a whopping 70 per cent of the team’s roster.
“It’s a pretty significant amount of players,” said McKee. “That’s the nature of it. Guys continue to grow and move onto higher levels.”
Despite having to essentially start from scratch, McKee isn’t worried about the upcoming season.
Full Story from the Edmonton Journal