Alouettes new look includes former NHLer

Alouettes prospects jockey for future jobs at the Sturgeon Falls Recreation complex on Saturday. Photo by Chris Dawson.

The Nipissing Alouettes are getting a jump start on the 2008-2009 season.

For the second straight weekend the Greater Metro Junior Hockey clubs is holding a prospects camp in the North.

Last weekend camps were held in both Timmins and New Liskeard. This weekend the camp was in Sturgeon Falls where close to 25 players attended the on-ice session.

Ricci Returns

Lui Ricci will return behind the bench for the Alouettes. The longtime North Bay hockey coach and former assistant coach with the 2005 NOJHL champion North Bay Skyhawks takes over officially for Marc St-Georges who left the team late last season and according to the organization will not return this season due to work commitments.

“We have a new coach, new atmosphere and passion for the game,” said Ricci.

“We want kids that want to be here and kids that want to practice. Those are the kids that we are looking for.”

Ricci is bringing in his own coaching staff which includes assistants Kevin Gauthier, Patrick Geary and former NHLer Steve McLaren.

McLaren, a former North Bay Centennials forward brings with him more than 10 years of experience playing minor pro in both the American Hockey League and the International Hockey league along with a few NHL games in 2003-2004 with the St. Louis Blues.

Ricci hopes the club can improve on a 14 win season last year that saw the team finish 12th in league standings and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs (in 5 games in the best-of-seven series) by the expansion Elliot Lake Bobcats.

Summer tournament

He hopes to use this prospect camp as a springboard for next season along with inviting a number of players to play on an Alouettes summer team that will compete in the Junior Division at a Canlan Classic hockey tournament in the Toronto area prior to training camp.

Ricci hopes to use the summer tourney as a measuring stick for his club as they compete against other junior teams from Ontario, Western Canada and the United States.

“We just want to see kids from around the area to see if they can play junior at this level and see if they can compete with kids that are a little bit older than the kids that are going to be playing.”

No guarantees

Ricci says there are no free rides on his club even though as many as 18 players can return next season to the Alouettes.

“All spots are open on this hockey club,” Ricci said bluntly.

“ There is no such thing as: ‘Just because I played here last year I’m going to be on the team.’”