By Wes Gilbertson /
Ryan Hilderman has been there, done that.
Nobody likes to endure a slump, but the Calgary Midget AAA Royals bench boss hopes to get it out of the way early this season.
Just like last year.
“Last year, I remember starting 0-3 and then 1-4, and there were struggles with new players, new systems, new coach, all that,” he recalled. “But we battled through it and ended up going on a bit of a tear going into the Mac’s.
“So this year, we’re not panicking. Nobody is pushing the panic button, because we understand it’s a process and if we stay the course and we keep working to build the ship, good things will come.”
Coach Hilderman and forwards Brad Buckingham, Brett Dallen and Gui Glasspoole are the only holdovers from last year’s team, but the last instalment of the Midget AAA Royals could certainly learn a thing or two from their predecessors.
Despite a sluggish start to the Alberta Midget Hockey League’s regular-season slate, the boys in blue advanced to the quarterfinals at the Mac’s before being eliminated by the eventual champion Calgary Buffaloes in a double-overtime thriller.
The Royals actually took a one-goal lead midway through the third period of their quarterfinal showdown, but couldn’t slam the door on the cross-town Buffs.
Just like at the annual holiday tourney, the AMHL’s South Division standings seem to change on a daily basis this season.
The Royals hit the midway point of November stuck in the cellar, but they were just three points out of a playoff spot and seven removed from first place.
We have some work to do, but now is the time to be going through the struggles we’re going through and we’re working to come out of it,” Hilderman said. “I think we have a good group of guys that once they get it, once they understand exactly what it takes, there’ll be some opportunities for us to jump up in the standings.”
Like many of his AMHL coaching counterparts, Hilderman basically had to start from scratch this fall. With just three returnees, the Royals front man had plenty of holes to fill, but he’s optimistic the pieces are in place for a stellar second half.
He raves about defenceman Devin Dambrauskas and figures he found a real gem in winger Evan Jarock, who was averaging better than a point per outing through the first two months of the season.
And what better place for the rest of the newcomers to make a name for themselves than at the Mac’s tournament? A trip to the Telus Cup is the ultimate goal, but peaking around Christmas time is always a close second.
Every year, when you approach the season, that’s one of your goals,” Hilderman said. “Winning that is going to mean executing within the process, understanding it is a process and taking this one game, one period at a time, and working to get better every time we step on the ice.
“If we do that and learn from our mistakes, then we’ll give ourselves an opportunity when Dec. 26 comes.” |