sports & recreation
MacDonald is
expecting the Oilers
to be led by their
top line — Knight,
Bannister and
Duszynski — and
anchored by returning
goalie Sean Cahill, a 2009 rookie who made the all-star team.
“The Knight line has the potential to break open
any game at any time,” he says. “Barring the kinds
of injuries we experienced last season, I think they
will be one of the best lines in the league. As far
as goaltending, we have high hopes and a lot of
expectations for Sean Cahill. He’s a real quality
player, and we feel like we’re in good hands with him
between the pipes. The back-up goalie is up in the
air, but we have some young guys coming in to battle
for that position. We want
someone who is good
enough to complement
Sean.”
Despite being badly
hurt by injuries last year
— Duszynski missed 40
games and Bannister
missed 20 — the Oilers
compiled an impressive
39-19-2-2 regular-season
record. Their 82 points
were just one back of
Brooks, who led the
AJHL’s South Division.
But, after sweeping
past Canmore in the first
round, the Oilers ran
into the worst possible
obstacle in the second: a
red-hot goaltender. Olds’
Marc Boulanger was the
difference as the Grizzlys took the series 4-2, and sent
Okotoks home for a summer that started all too early.
The Oilers expect to be near the top of the
standings again in 2009-10, but MacDonald knows
The Oilers open the
season September 12
in Calgary against
the Canucks, before
returning to Okotoks
Centennial Arena for
the home opener on
September 16, a rematch
with Olds and a chance
to fire some more rubber
at Boulanger.
nothing will be handed to his club in the ultra-competitive AJHL.
“Olds will be tough again,” he says. “Their
goaltending was the number one reason we didn’t
go further last year. I think the Brooks Bandits will
be good again, and Camrose is always good. Our
division is going to be tough no matter what.”
The Oilers open the season September 12 in Calgary
against the Canucks, before returning to Okotoks
Centennial Arena for the home opener on September
16, a rematch with Olds and a chance to fire some
more rubber at Boulanger.
The Oilers averaged over 800 fans per game last
year, and MacDonald wants to give fans in Okotoks
plenty to cheer about this coming season.
“Okotoks is an exceptional place to play and it’s
just the right size for this level of hockey,” he says.
