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The Kindersley Sr. Klippers fire up their season this evening against the Macklin Mohawks. The Mohawks have been a thorn in the Sr. Klippers side, knocking them out of the playoffs the last two years. Sr. Klippers player Byron Ismond expects a tough test with the Mohawks in town.
“They (Macklin) will be a good test. They're always a good, fast hard-hitting team. I think that's where they generate a lot of their offense from is their forecheck and their back check and their never quit kind of play. So, I think we just have to be ready for it,” Ismond said.
The Sr. Klippers will also have a new face behind the bench this evening. Les Aylward will take over the reins from Chris Forsman. Ismond has known Aylward for years and expects good things heading into the season.
“I've known Les (Aylward) for a long time and it’s funny how he used to coach my wife back in the AAA Panthers days and he's a good old hockey guy that has a lot of knowledge. He's a great motivator. He loves to joke around with the young guys and he's going to point us in the right direction, I think.”
The Sr. Klippers continue to have a strong core of players, and the team is pretty much the same one as in previous seasons, something Ismond feels is a strength.
“You'll see a lot of familiar faces. I think that's the key to getting stronger every year, is having the same guys in the lineup, and moving forward we're just getting better and better and hopefully this is the year.”
Game time from the West Central Events Centre is 7:30 tonight.