NEW OTTERS:.
The Huntsville Otters junior C hockey club signed its first players last week. Sitting down to sign their cards are (left to right) Jordan Harris, Carter Tracey, Brodie Muckler and Ben Muckler. In back are general manager Brian Crozier and coach Monty Clouthier.
HUNTSVILLE - The Huntsville Otters have signed the first players to their junior C roster.
Jordan Harris and Carter Tracey of Bracebridge joined Huntsville brothers Brodie and Ben Muckler in signing their names to cards for the 2012-2013 Georgian Bay Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League season.
The four were signed while visiting the Otters’ hockey facilities at the Don Lough Arena on July 30. Head coach Monty Clouthier, general manager Brian Crozier and assistant general manager Craig Shaw were also in attendance.
The signings came days after the team held a rookie camp at the Gravenhurst Centennial Arena. More than 40 players attended the two skates, held on July 28, and according to Clouthier, he was impressed with many of the players he saw on the ice.
“Some of them were a little out of shape and the four hours that day on the ice kind of wore them out. Now they realize what we expect of them to make the team. Some of the younger guys were very impressive and we are looking forward to some of the older players kicking it up a little bit.”
Clouthier said that Harris and Tracey are two players the Huntsville officials had been watching when they starred as forwards for the Bracebridge midget team in the Muskoka-Parry Sound Hockey League last year.
“They were probably among the top three midget players in their league last year. They are very good young men and we hope to put them on centre or left wing. They have good speed and good work ethic and good playmakers. We think they will work very well together.”
As for the Muckler brothers, Clouthier said that 19-year-old Ben and 17-year-old Brodie will be good additions to the team.
“Brodie played for the midget team here last year and Ben had played midget a few years ago. They have always been the top players at their age levels and so we wanted to get them on the team right away.”
The coach said that he expects all the players who are at the rookie camp to be in Huntsville on Aug. 18 for the first day of the team’s training camp. The camp is expected to run that weekend at The Lock, and to conclude with two sessions the following weekend.
“We got a few players, maybe six or seven skaters coming to the main camp. We are still waiting to hear from the league about our four overage players that we requested, so that’s still up in the air.”
The club is currently petitioning the Ontario Hockey Association and the Georgian Bay league for permission to sign up to four over age players for the coming season.
Junior C clubs are allowed to carry as many as four, 21-year-old players on its roster any season, providing the players had played for the team the previous year. Since this is the club’s inaugural season, the Otters have to apply to the OHA and the league for permission because as a new club they don’t have anyone who qualifies as an overager.
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