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After a long summer, Virden Oil Capitals coach Tyson Ramsey is chomping at the bit to get things going again, and he believes that while things didn't go the way they hoped last year, the team learned a lot and will look to build on it.
"It's exciting," the coach says with a smile. "We're getting close to bringing the returning guys back, getting them settled. We have some kids that we signed that we're excited about, and want to get them here, get on the ice, get them settled into the community. It's always neat to see the younger prospects and how they have developed over the course of the offseason. They can change so much over that period of time. We're excited to get going here, it's been busy to get ready, but we're looking forward to having everyone back."
The returning players will be looked to for experience on the ice and in the community, something Ramsey says has already been discussed. "I think one of the things that we were not expecting last year was not making the playoffs, but there was some valuable learning for some of the young guys in our lineup, we had a young group. So, for them to have a year under their belt, they'll be playing some significant roles this year. Our expectations have gone up for them, and they will have gone up for themselves. Our goal is to always be a championship team, it's something we'll talk about when the guys get here, it's something we've already talked about with the leadership group, and we can't wait to get going."
As a builder, this is the best time of the year for Ramsey, who loves seeing names on paper turn into bodies on the ice. "I mean, that's one of the reasons you become a coach in the first place. It's one of the more fun things to do, putting a team together. You're always looking to have some hard decisions to make at the end of it. It's going to be exciting to get some guys back, we have some ideas of how things may work so far, but training camp never disappoints. There's always a diamond in the ruff, or someone doesn't perform as well as you think the might, so things can change, but it's really fun trying to put the pieces together and build the best team you can put on the ice for day one."
With camp set to open, Ramsey is a believer that while the culture is set, the team identity can be molded around the types of players that end up making the team. "I think, as a coach, more than ever, you have to understand the individual personalities, but as a group, there's a certain way we want to play. When we're successful, we play a certain way, and when you look at some of the other teams around the league that have been successful over the years, you understand you need a group that is hardworking, fast, physical, and you have to have some skill to go along with that. We have a certain way that we think we want to play, because we've seen it be successful, but, more than ever, you really have to understand the individual characteristics of the team and make sure that you're putting everybody in the best situation to succeed."
Earlier in the summer, Ramsey and the Oil Caps announced that Ty Plaisier had been named captain, and the coach plans on leaning on that leadership early to help set the tone. "I think we'll lean on them a lot. We've had meetings with our leadership group, with naming Ty captain early, we've had really good conversations, and we understand the way we need to approach camp. Camp isn't a time to get ready to go, you need to hit the ground running as soon as you get here. They understand that, we've had good conversations about that, and I think the leadership group going into this year is going to be one that really helps push our younger guys, helping them understand how we want to play and how we want to represent off the ice."
Defending home ice is very important to Ramsey and the Oil Caps, and the plan is make Tundra Oil and Gas Place a very difficult place to play in. "We appreciate all the support we get from the business community, and season ticket holders. We feel Virden is a hard working community that wants to see their team play hard. We want to do that each and every night for them. For a small community, we have such great support and we're very excited to play in front of them again."
Another part of getting ready for the season is turning up the suit game, and Ramsey says there are possibly some plans to bring in some new suits for the new season. "I don't mind the ones I got, but I just don't know if they'll fit me after the summer," he says with a laugh. "I better check that out. It'll be more about the size of them than it is the style."
The Virden Oil Capitals start the pre-season Tuesday, September 2nd in Neepawa. The first home exhibition game will be September 6th against Neepawa.