The wait is almost over, and the inaugural season of the Pennsylvania Huntsmen is just days away! The Huntsmen start on the road at the Showcase hosted by the Railers Jr. Hockey Club at Worcester Ice Center.

The Huntsmen have been hard at work this summer and are ready for the season opener this weekend. Coach Kilroy shared his thoughts about the team leading up to the start of the 2022-23 season. “The team has grown leaps and bounds from day one, we are beginning to look like a team now. We are working together picking each other up and helping each other push towards a common goal. The team is motivated! I would say they are ready to get things started and underway, and ready to make a statement.”

One thing that Kilroy has stressed is that he wants the team to be competitive every day, and to give every opponent all they can handle. “The identity is most certainly going to be work ethic. I push these guys very hard to be intense day in and day out. There is obviously some skill there, but we are going to win games by out working teams, says Kilroy.”

A dream start would be stacking up a couple wins at the Showcase, but Kilroy says that there’s more to it. “Just come with an open mind. Whether we get beat 11-1 or win all three, we need to understand one thing and that it’s just opening weekend. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. We need come away from this week learning and gaining intel rather than focusing on stats and records.”

Showcases are a big part of the EHL/EHLP. The entire league comes together at one venue and plays in front of college scouts and coaches. It’s a great way for players to gain exposure, and it also helps the scouts because they can see as many players as they want in a short period of time. The format for the games this weekend will be different. Normally, games are 3-20minute periods but showcase format is 2-25minute halves.

The Huntsmen kickoff the showcase against the New England Wolves, this will also be the Wolves’ first game of the year. Day two, the Huntsmen will play 2 games. First, they take on the Vermont Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks are off to a strong start as they come into the Showcase 2-0 after sweeping the Adirondack Jr. Thunder 6-2 and 5-4.  The Lumberjacks will take on the Connecticut Chiefs on Friday, and the New Jersey Renegades on Saturday before playing the Huntsmen Sunday. The Huntsmen end the Showcase with their second game of the day against the Express Hockey Club. The Express are 1-0 after defeating the Railers last weekend 2-1. The Express will play the Renegades on Thursday, and the Union Jr. Thunder early on Sunday morning before they play the Huntsmen later in the afternoon.

The wait is over! The players have been working hard throughout the summer and everyone is excited for a new journey into junior hockey, here we go!

Weekend Schedule

** Showcase Format 2-25s, all games played at Worcester Ice Center

** All Game will be live on Hockeytv.com

Saturday 9/24             New England Wolves 9pm

Sunday 9/25                Vermont Lumberjacks 12pm

Sunday 9/25                Express Hockey Club    4pm

By: Joe Sindoni

Play by Play Announcer

Staff Writer