Fifty players from around the province attend Mintos selection camp

The Prince Albert Mintos are one step closer to picking their team for the 2017-18 season.

Fifty players from P.A. and around the province, including the current Mintos lineup, were at the Art Hauser Centre this weekend trying to impress coaches and personnel and land one of the few remaining spots on the on the team. Mintos manager Don Fauchoux said there are about five players being considered for the roster.

“At our camp we had lots of young guys who are going to be future Mintos,” Fauchoux said.

“We had our eyes on some 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds that will probably fill that role and we do have six exhibition games (in September) and the cream will rise to the top. We’ll have completed our team by then.”

At the weekend-long camp the players were divided into three teams. While two groups took part in scrimmages, the remaining team completed off-ice training exercises. Fauchoux said he was happy with what he saw from the players and prospects.

“Overall, I thought it was pretty darn good,” he said.

“We had some competitive games, very competitive, and the kids that had promise in the spring, they obviously did some work in the summer because they looked good out here. It’s like we’re ready to go here right now.”

The Mintos invited around 130 players to spring camp in March. Fauchoux said it’s becoming common for teams to already have their teams picked well in advance of the pre-season.

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