Article contentThe rookie camp is for players who didn’t play in the league last year. It gives them a chance to shine with a smaller group as opposed to having upwards of 60 players show up at once for camp.Article content“You want to give the rookies an opportunity to come here and whether it’s them showcasing themselves to get through to main camp or showcasing themselves for the future,” MacLean said, “it’s a good opportunity to start them off around their own peers.”Article contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentFollowing trades and finishing in the basement, the Wildcats have had three first-round picks the past two seasons. Unlike the NHL, those players don’t always play in the junior A league.Article contentAntigonish’s Duncan Anderson made the team as a 16-year-old last year after being selected third overall. The defenceman also made the league’s all-rookie team. Forwards Ethan Jones and Parker Banks, selected first and fifth overall, respectively, in 2025, are both coming to camp.Article content“He told me two days ago, he’s coming here to try and make the team,” MacLean said Aug. 11 of Jones.Article contentArticle contentBanks is heading back to Stanstead College in Quebec to complete high school, but the Wildcats haven’t closed the book on him by any means.Article content“Hopefully, he’ll be coming here as an 18-year-old,” MacLean said.Article contentAlex Peterson, Quinton Land, and Hunter MacLean – who were selected first, fourth, and ninth overall, respectively, this year – are all coming to camp. Peterson, a forward, is two years older than the two Steele Subaru products picked behind him. Land, a defenceman, and MacLean, a forward, are both drafted by Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League squads and will be attending their teams’ camps.Article content Alex Peterson, a centre from New Maryland, N.B., was selected first overall by the Bage Valley Wildcats June 20 at the Maritime Junior Hockey League draft in Campbellton, N.B. From left are director of scouting Kevin Ryan, Peterson, regional scout Cameron Brown, and head coach/general manager Jesse MacLean. Photo by James Faulkner /Maritime Junior Hockey LeagueArticle contentArticle contentTeamArticle contentMacLean said he envisions a Wildcats team built around the 4 Ss.Article content“Size, skill, speed, and snot. We need a little bit of all of that,” he said. “You can have the size, but if you don’t play with the snot, it doesn’t usually work out the way you want it to. And we want to be a hard team to play against.”Article contentHe sees those elements on paper within the team’s roster and now he wants to see it on the ice. He said the team will take pride in defending and then go on the attack.Article contentArticle content“You’re going to have breakdowns from time to time, but it’s how quickly you get back to your structure,” he said.Article contentGiven the franchise’s recent lack of success, getting off to a good start appears to be paramount. There are about a dozen players returning from last year’s squad, including key veterans like captain Ryan Fletcher, Aidan Bent, and Drew Lutz, who are all Kings County residents.Article content“We all know why we’re here,” MacLean said. “We’re not going to wait to mid-September to get going. We have to get going now.”Article contentArticle contentStaffArticle contentMacLean, who turns 31 at the end of the month, joined the franchise a year ago as an assistant coach. He didn’t anticipate being where he is 12 months later, but appreciates the faith the franchise has shown in him.Article content“It was a dream of mine to coach at this level,” he said. “Did I think it was going to come as quick as it did, probably not, but everything happens for a reason.”Article contentMacLean is the only member of last year’s staff returning with some moving on to other opportunities.
New year, new outlook as Valley Wildcats prepare for training camp
