The Alberni Valley Bulldogs kicked off one of their most anticipated camps in recent memory on a rainy Friday morning at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.
The Bulldogs open camp with high expectations, something that hasn’t always been the norm for this team since they re-located to Port Alberni in 2002. “This is the deepest roster I’ve had in the BCHL” said Bulldogs head coach and general manager.
The word “expectations” was thrown around by club president David Michaud in his early morning talk with the 50 or so players competing for a roster spot this weekend. “I love the word expectations” said Michaud. “I think whenever there are expectations, it’s means a certain amount of pressure has been earned by reputation. We have a solid roster that is being bolstered by some hungry young men trying to come in here and earn a spot, it’s a recipe for success.”
The Bulldogs roster can feature as many as 13 returning veterans from the “Pod Squad” that went 11-5-3-1, good for a 2nd place finish behind the Victoria Grizzlies.
Headlining the strong cast of returning veterans are the top line of Stephen Castagna, Josh Van Unen & Brandon Buhr. The trio combined for 34 goals and 48 assists in the 20 games, all among the BCHL leaders in points.
After a day of practice the two camp teams will face off both Friday and Saturday evenings before taking on the Victoria Grizzlies in Victoria on Sunday night. The two teams will face each other again on Monday night at the Multiplex.
All local youth 18 & under can attend Monday’s exhibition game at no-charge when accompanied by an adult thanks to the generous support of the San Group. Tickets are available online and at the box office prior to the game on Monday.
