Hockey Notebook: tryouts quickly approaching

The hockey season is nearing in Sault Ste. Marie.

Despite the fact that it’s still early August on the calendar, hockey season will be upon us before we know it. Though many of the local triple-A teams conduct summer ice sessions, the Soo Thunderbirds unofficially kick off the 2012-13 season locally on Aug. 17.

That’s when the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League franchise begins their fall tryout camp at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

The team held an initial tryout camp in June and will use the upcoming camp to round on the roster. The team has already signed a pair of players from the Great North Midget League’s Soo North Stars in forward Joey Miller and defenceman Michael Caruso. The team also dealt for NOJHL veteran Joseph Duoba.

In other transactions since the spring camp, the team dealt defenceman Dylan Connolly to Woodstock and Josh Hicks to Kingston.

The tryout camp opens with an on-ice session on Aug. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. An initial cut will take place after Saturday’s on-ice sessions with a final session set for Sunday morning.

The Thunderbirds open the season on Sept. 7 when they host Blind River at the Essar Centre.

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The Soo North Stars tryouts are set for later in the month of August. The GNML entry opens tryouts on Aug. 28 at the John Rhodes Community Centre. The 2013 Telus Cup hosts will have four-on-ice sessions before making the final selection on Sept. 4.

The North Stars open the 2012-13 GNML season on Sept. 15 when they host the North Bay Trappers.

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The Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds kick off their 2012 training camp on Aug. 28 with player registration and fitness testing.

The team takes to the ice one day later with on-ice sessions.

The team will also play four exhibition games prior to the opening of the OHL season with a pair of games each against the Sudbury Wolves and Saginaw Spirit.

The Greyhounds open their regular season schedule on Sept. 21 when they host the Plymouth Whalers.

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