Photo: Connor Wilson now leads the Eagles in scoring with 13 points in 14 games.
The Canmore Eagles will head out on their first major road trip of the season this weekend as they will play three Alberta Junior Hockey League games over three days against Northern Division teams.
Canmore, with an early season record of 6-8 record, will face the Drayton Valley Thunder (2-10-1) on Friday night (Oct. 18), the Grande Prairie Storm (6-7-1) on Saturday night (Oct. 19) and the Whitecourt Wolverines (9-5-2) on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 20).
The Eagles will travel north without the services of several key players as forwards Luke Simpson (dislocated elbow), Nils Moser (knee), Lane Olson (illness) and defenceman Jakob Lavoie (ankle) are all on the injured list. Bryan Arneson, who missed the Eagles last game with concussion-type symptoms, is listed as day-to-day.
“We are certainly going to miss these players but it does give our rookie players the opportunity to see a lot of game action and gain a ton of experience,” said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “When you play three games in three days, it’s nice to have a full roster so you can substitute some fresh legs, but it is – what it is, and we’ll have to make the best of it. It’s a great opportunity for the remaining players to step up and show what they can do with increased ice time and power-play opportunities. We'll obviously need a total team effort if we are to be successfull this weekend.”
Canmore’s next home game will be played on Saturday, October 26 when the Brooks Bandits pay a visit to the Canmore Recreation Centre. The Bandit's game is being billed as “Cheap Beer Night” as draft beer will be available in the Eagles Nest Lounge for just $3 – courtesy of the Canmore Rose and Crown Restaurant and Bar.
NOTEBOOK: The Canmore Eagles powerplay is running at an efficiency rating of 18.60% with 16 goals in 86 powerplay opportunities, good enough for 6th-place out of 16 AJHL teams. . . .The Eagles penalty killing unit has allowed 12 powerplay goals in 70 opportunities for an efficiency rating of 82.86%, good enough for 8th-spot in the AJHL. . . With three goals and 10 assists, second-year forward Connor Wilson now leads the Eagles in scoring with 13 points.