Squad picked for upcoming season

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Campbellton - There were close to 50 players in Campbellton on the weekend looking to land a spot on the Restigouche Jr A Tigers hockey club this year.

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Trevor McNally/ Tribune

Restigouche Jr A Tigers general manager Curtis Glidden, left, goes over the team roster with coach Mark Glidden during weekend tryouts.

Trevor McNally/ Tribune

Dan Joyce will be one of the "go to" men for the Restigouche Tigers this season.

Trevor McNally/ Tribune

Close to 50 players attended the Tigers' tryout camp on the weekend where coach John Leblanc went over drills.

Trevor McNally/ Tribune

One of the hotly contested positions was that of goaltender with as many as six players vying for the two spots. As of Monday, the goalies had not yet been picked.

Tryouts for the 2008-2009 team began Saturday morning with players having just one on-ice session to make an impression on team management before a pair of inter-squad games. The final cuts were made after Sunday's inter-squad game with some familiar faces making the team, as well as many new ones.

Training camp opened in a big way for the Tigers on Friday. Big being in the name of William Squires at 6'6" and weighing 290 lbs from Newfoundland. Tigers coach Mark Glidden said " All we need for that fellow is a bucket of oats and a harness, he's as big as a horse". Squires also has a sidekick by the name of Matt Deware who will have a physical presence on the ice for the Tigers.

"We realized that our skilled players have to be able to play their game without being intimidated," added Glidden "These guys will take care of that."

Also in camp are speedsters Tyler Pace from Colorado, to whom Glidden referred when he said "this guy can really motor" and that "they will really complement returning veterans Dan Joyce and Daniel Robichaud well."

The defence will be anchored by Tyler Gale also of Newfoundland and Patrick Louden from Bathurst. Glidden felt that the Tigers' defence will be the best in the league. "We like the speed and toughness we have back there on the blue line."

Meanwhile GM Curtis Glidden is on the prowl as always looking to add depth to the team. When asked about training camp the GM said "I was pleasantly surprised, they were big and fast. I like what I see. We are putting the pieces together to be a very competitive team."

The Tigers will play their first exhibition game on Friday (Sept. 5) at 7:30 against their archrivals from Miramichi. They follow that with a game down Rte. 11 Monday in a return match against the Timberwolves.

They open their regular season at home next Friday (Sept. 12) with a 7:30 Civic Centre start against the Truro Bearcats.

Season tickets are still available and so are sponsorship packages. The team is also looking for a few more billets for the season.

To find out more call Mark Glidden at 759-8162 or Brad Mann at 987-0282.