The Oceanside Generals take to the ice tonight for their one and only pre-season game against their new rivals the Nanaimo Buccaneers. Those behind the local community-owned junior hockey club are looking forward to start of a new era.
“We sure are,” Generals vice-president Dan Jack. “We’re really excited ... it’s always exciting when you go in a new direction with improvement in mind.”
Tonight marks the debut of Oceanside’s new head coach Brent Demarais, who has brought in assistant coaches Rob Gaudrault and Bryce Abbott who was with the team last year.
This will be Jack’s seventh season on the board.
“There’s about a dozen of us now and we have some real quality people on the board this year,” he said, adding, “I think we have a real good coach; he’s going to teach them how to play the game hard, and also be respectful, so there’s some good values there.”
Jack also made the point “there’s going to be a lot more hands helping out at the games, and hopefully more fans ...it’s the best entertainment value in town — these kids play their hearts out,” said Jack.