After winning the Junior C Schmaltz Championship last year, 15 players have returned and are on the roster this year with a few more still weighing their options.
The squad won a rookie game against the Penetang Kings on Tues., Sept. 2 then followed up with a 12-1 pounding of the Midland Flyers the following Friday.
"The atmosphere around the dressing room and around the team, is a lot of confidence. Not arrogance, but confidence," said Hornets' director of hockey operations Clay Birkett. "Our rookies are quite exceptional. It was a 5-2 game but it could have been a lot higher," he said of the first exhibition game against Penetang.
The team had an invitational training camp this year due to the high number of returning players. Management also made a decision to avoid having players spend money to attend the camp without having a reasonable expectation of making the team.
"We had a camp of 36 who came in and we paid for everything so the 36 we invited to camp didn't have to pay for any of the skates."
Head coach Darrin Shannon is again at the helm behind the bench along with the rest of the coaching staff from last season. The only exception is assistant coach Mike Hough who chose not to return for personal reasons.
"I think the league will probably be stronger than it was last year," Birkett said. "But I think it will be a three-horse race again, which would be Alliston, Penetang and Fergus."
Several teams in the Georgian Mid-Ontario League have put new coaches in place for this season.
As for goaltending, Troy Dowswell has returned for his second year with the Hornets and Breton McKinnon has been recruited to replace Jon Porretta who played his final junior year last season.
McKinnon is a veteran goalie who started his junior career with the Hornets.
"He started with us as a 16-year-old and played for two months. Listowel Junior B picked him up that year. Then he went to Peterborough for two years then to Markham last year," Birkett explained.
McKinnon, who is from Rosemont, played his minor hockey years in Alliston.
After four scheduled exhibition games, the second annual Alliston Hornets Junior C tournament will get underway this weekend starting on Fri., Sept. 12, with the first game scheduled for 6 p.m. at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex. The championship final will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Hornets' first regular-season game will be their home opener next Fri., Sept. 19, against the Penetang Kings. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
