Added two more affiliates to my list of reserves yesterday. They both play for the Bantam A1 team. Gabriel B. is a second year Bantam forward while Dylan L. is a first year Bantam who also plays forward.
I saw Gabriel play last Sunday when his team played before us and I liked his size and skating skills. Dylan was an unknown since he didn't take part in last Sunday's game. He was recommended to me by his Bantam coach and when I called him yesterday, he wasn't home. His dad told me he was at the rink, serving as a shooter for the goalies clinics. I have seen the kind of kids who serve as shooters on these clinics since Andrew took part in the clinics in his first season. These are usually good players, or at least good shooters. While talking to his dad, he told me he also was a good skater. Yeah, I know, dads are usually a wee little biased but still, that's encouraging.
I have a couple more players to call from that team and I have also sent an email to the coach of the Bantam A3 team in order to get a couple phone numbers in order to maybe secure a some players from that team also.
Looking at our upcoming schedule, I saw that one or even two of the Bantam A teams often play at the same time we do so I need to have affiliates in all three teams, just in case.
I have invited our two healthy affiliates from Bantam A2, defenseman Oliver and goalie Jacob, for our full ice practice session this evening. Both A1 and A3 have a one hour shared ice practice session right before us. I though at first it didn't make sense inviting any of the players from these teams but seeing how we'll probably have four players missing, and also since our session is only 50 minutes when you take out ice resurfacing, maybe some of the kids would like the extra ice time so I will call them around dinner time today.
Back to our upcoming schedule, they have made the second portion of the schedule available. We only knew the first third of our schedul up until last weekend but we now know who will play up to the Christmas holiday break and this will be a rough stretch.
11/9 away at Husky-1
11/15 home vs Éclaireurs-3
11/16 away at Rapides-2
11/22 away at Éclaireurs-2
11/30 home vs Rapides-1
12/7 away at Seigneurs-1
12/14 home vs Sénateurs-1
12/20 away at Seigneurs-2
The first two are winnable games but after that it'll get very tough. I'd like for us to go at least 3-3 in those last six but we could very well go 1-5.
FM