BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats will get their first look at their 2012-13 crop of players this weekend as Main Tryout Camp will run Friday through Sunday at the VFW Sports Center.
“We’re definitely excited about the group of players that will be at Main Camp,” explained Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, who will be presiding over his third Main Camp. “Between a great group of returners, exciting draft picks and tenders and strong players that we have scouted and brought through our pre-draft tryouts, there will be some high-end talent on the ice this weekend.”
Main Camp will begin with six teams of Bobcat hopefuls—comprising 120 players—playing in three different three-game sessions: on Friday night at 5:00 PM and Saturday at 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Following the last game in Saturday’s final session, the field will be pared down to 40 players, split into two teams for Sunday’s All-Star game, scheduled for 9:00 AM.
Fans will be able to come and view the entirety of Main Camp free of charge, as the Bobcats have always made the event open to the public. Beer and concessions will also available to the fans as they take their first look at this season’s squad.
When the dust settles after Sunday’s finale, Sedevie and assistant coach Garrett Roth will have the responsibility of trimming the 40-player All-Star list down to a Training Camp roster that will report back to Bismarck in late August to prepare for the franchise’s 16th season.
“It will be a really difficult process to sit down and figure out which of these talented guys we want on the team and which we’ll have to send home,” related Sedevie. “Honestly, though, we hope the players make these choices tough for us. We want all 120 guys out there giving their all to be a part of Bobcat Hockey.”
For any fan that cannot make it to Main Camp, the Bobcats will be posting updates to their Twitter account, http://twitter.com/BismarckBobcats and their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/bismarckbobcats.
Notes:
The NAHL has announced the schedule for the season-opening 2012 Combat Hockey NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minn.
To open the season, the Bobcats will square off against the North Division’s Jamestown Ironmen on Wednesday, September 12. The next three days will feature a trio of heavyweight bouts as the Cats take on the reigning North Division champion Port Huron Fighting Falcons on September 13, the 2011 Robertson Cup Champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs on September 14 and the 2010-11 President’s Cup-winning Topeka Roadrunners to close the Showcase on September 15.
Season tickets for the 2012-13 season are now on sale—and going fast! Call the box office at (701) 222-3300 to reserve your seats and be a part of another Bobcat Hockey run for the title today!