Get A Program This Season

Canada West teams are starting to post their rosters for the upcoming season on their respective websites, and it gives us a chance to look over which teams have players coming back, who may have left, and who the newcomers are for each team. There are changes every season to every roster, but it seems that MacEwan decided to let its players go wild when it comes to number changes this year! Settle in because we'll run down the changes here today!

The roster is still quite large, and that's a Lindsay McAlpine trait for her teams as she always seems to have someone ready to come out of the pressbox if needed. With Lindsay stepping upstairs into the new full-time Associate Director of Athletics role created by the Griffins Athletics Department, Chris Leeming takes over behind the bench with a squad designed by Lindsay for Lindsay, so we'll see how he does in his first season behind a Canada West bench after making the jump from Old College in the ACAC.

Leeming, however, seems to have no qualms when it comes to allowing players to choose the numbers they want to wear, so get yourself a program this season, Griffins fans. You may need it with all these changes.

Players No Longer On Roster

• Chantal Ricker - #13
• Grace Crooks - #15*
• Vanessa Verbitsky - #17*
• Beth Taylor - #19
• Kyrelle Skoye - #20
• Jocelyn Elliott - #6
• Natalie Bender - #29

A few good players who graduated out of the program are listed above while both Crooks and Verbitsky were on the roster in training camp, but appear to have left the team at some point either through their own choice or Lindsay's choice. Either way, there are six numbers that came available, and most were filled quickly.

The New Kids

• Kori Paterson - #94
• Breanne Powell - #15
• Allee Isley - #74
• Kali MacDonald - #24
• Shaelyn Hopkins - #20
• Lindsey Johnson - #1

The six players Lindsay recruited all have reported and are ready to go. You may notice that some of these numbers were in use last season by players still on the Griffins' roster. That's why you're going to need a program. For example, Brianna Sank is no longer wearing #1 while Hailey Maurice is not wearing #24 any longer. What numbers are they wearing? Let's find out!

The New Digits

• Claire Hobbs - #8 to #88
• Hailey Maurice - #24 to #16
• Mackenzie Dachuk - #16 to #17
• Joie Simon - #25 to #6
• Rian Santos - #2 to #91
• Rebecca Thiessen - #5 to #19
• Brianna Sank - #1 to #31
• Brooklyn Fawcett - #31 to #35

Seven number changes join the incoming six players to make nearly half the roster "new" in terms of jersey numbers. MacEwan will still have a solid team with some bright, young stars, but you're going to need a program to decipher who they are in the first few weeks. If these new numbers make players a little more comfortable and confident on the ice, that's good for the Griffins who are looking to break through this season and claim their first-ever Canada West playoff spot. We'll see if this numbers magic factors in at the end of the season!

The action starts on September 30 for the new-look Griffins as they travel to Regina to kick off the season against the Cougars. Fans of the Griffins will get a home-and-home the following week against their crosstown rivals in the Alberta Pandas, so make sure you've studied the roster a little harder this season to know who is lighting the lamp for the Griffins!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!