Hockey squad set for NAHL draft

MAT-SU - The Mat-Su Junior A hockey program will have the opportunity to add talent to the organization today as the franchise participates in the 2006 North American Hockey League draft.

The local squad will have five selections in the draft, conducted via conference call. Selections in the draft are ordered by last season's final standings.

The Mat-Su squad owns the sixth pick.

Head coach and assistant general manager Dean Larson said the franchise hopes to use the five selections to help build a foundation of young talent for the club. The squad retained all of the players from last season's roster who are still eligible to play Junior A hockey. But the club did have a large corps of veterans, and will need to find replacements for those players.

&#8220We kind of went for an older team last year. We wanted to have experienced guys,” Larson said. &#8220For the most part, it paid off - we were fairly competitive. But we have some holes to fill.”

Rather than having most of its players in the final season of eligibility, Larson said, the franchise would like to put itself in a good postion the season after next - not just build for next year.

The group of players on the club's list to target includes athletes from all over the country. In addition to players from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, the team is considering players from states such as Michigan, Texas, California, Arizona, Minnesota and Florida.

The league draft is just one part of a very busy offseason for the local club. The NAHL recently approved the sale of the franchise to a local ownership group. The team, called the Wasilla Spirit last season, will be re-named. A new name and logo are expected to be released this

week.

The franchise also hosted its first camp of the offseason last week at the Subway Sports Center in Anchorage. In conjunction with a Junior B squad, the Fort Vancouver Pioneers, the franchise invited about 75 players, Larson said.

The camp included a large pool of talent from Alaska. Some players specificly tried out for the Junior B Pioneers, while others set their sites on the Junior A level. Larson said there was a good mix of talent at the camp.

In addition to its camps in Alaska, the franchise hosts a tryout camp in the Lower 48. Last year, the team hosted a camp in Blaine, Minn., a suberb of Minneapolis.