The Hazelton Wolverines men’s hockey team has given themselves a shot at representing the area in the Central Interior Hockey League for the 2013/2014 season.
After missing one season in the CIHL, the Wolverines’ management has gathered the necessary $2,000 to register for the league.
The team still has three sets of uniforms and now has the task of filling out their roster.
There was the potential to rebrand the team as the Hazelton Thunder, but that didn’t materialize.
“We’re still the Wolverines,” Alan Tolmie, vice-president and Wolverines’ player, said.
“It was decided that change was too much hassle at this point.”
One problem is every potential Wolverines’ player has a work schedule to juggle, which is part of task one, Tolmie said.
“It’s a lot of work and we’re positive we’ll get enough guys to put a good team on the ice,” he said.
Tolmie and Trevor Morrison, president, want to be able to put together a team of players from the Hazelton area, Tolmie said.
“We’re going to have to get the team together pretty quickly,” he added.
“With so many guys from around here working in mining camps it might be tough to start training as soon as we’d like.”
Tolmie and a few other members of the previous Wolverines’ club had to play for other teams in the CIHL last season.
“I played for Terrace for a few games and Phil [Morrison] played for 100-Mile House,” Tolmie said.
“Mitch Marshall played somewhere too, but it will be nice to have a hometown team again.”
The Wolverines are a non-profit organization and President Trevor Morrison is looking to raise what the team needs for travel and other necessities of operating in the CIHL.
“We’re just going to set up an executive board to make decisions and go from there,” Tolmie said.
The Wolverines’ executive will be looking for one thing from any player that makes the final roster.
“We’re looking for commitment more than anything else,” Tolmie said.
“We understand everyone needs to work, but if you want to play you have to train and practice with the team.
“If we don’t train and practice together there won’t be any chemistry and that won’t produce wins on the ice.”
The Wolverines will be able to register 25 to 30 players on its roster and Tolmie hopes to reach the maximum.
“We’d like to run four lines every game,” he said.
“But we can probably get away with running three some games.
“It’s always hard to fill the bench on the road.”
One change for the upcoming season is a realignment of divisions in the league.
The Houston Luckies, Smithers Steelheads and Wolverines will be in the Central Division, which will cut down on travel for the squad.