The Dauphin Kings finished the Manitoba Junior Hockey League preseason with a 3-2 record after a sweep of a home-and-home with the Neepawa Titans.
The Kings handed the Titans a 5-1 loss, Wednesday in Souris, before completing the sweep with a 4-2 victory in Dauphin, Friday.
Kings head coach and general manager Bryan Kromm was pleased with the team’s play in the two wins.
“I think it was nice to see our group start to gel a little bit and start to implement some of the stuff that we’re trying to teach with them. It was a step in the right direction,” he said.
“It’s good for the players to feel good about themselves going into the regular season, for sure.”
Kromm was most impressed with how well the players have come together as a team.
“It’s been great to watch over these last couple of weeks how well these guys are buying in and how much they love each other. It’s been great to see,” he said.
The Kings will now prepare for the season opener, Friday, in Selkirk against the Steelers, with the home opener going Saturday, at 7 p.m. at Credit Union Place.
The team will continue to work on its structure in practice leading up to Friday.
“We’ve already started building towards for games. I think we’re in a good place and we’ve just got to keep the train moving,” he said.
Final cuts were made following Friday’s game.
“That’s just part of the process. But I’m really proud of the guys that were here and the effort that they gave us over the last two weeks,” he said.
Kromm is pleased with the team he has chosen to start the season with and knows there will be some growing pains with it being a younger squad.
“But as long as they’re working hard and they believe in the process, then it’s going to be a good season,” he said.
The games marked the first time Kromm was on the bench as he watched the previous three games from the stands.
It was a way better experience, he said, not having to hear comments from fans.
The Kings made a pair of deals over the weekend, acquiring defenceman Beckham Garchinski from the Niverville Nighthawks in exchange for a player development fee (PDF) and the MJHL rights to forward Ethan Stewart.
Garchinski, 19, began last season with the Virden Oil Capitals, where he had one goal and one assist in nine games. In seven games with Niverville, he had three assists.
The other deal completed the trade which sent Matthew O’Sullivan to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard in the summer.
At the time the trade was announced, Dauphin received a PDF. Now they have added 19-year-old forward Carson Meyer, who tallied one goal and one assist in 27 games with the Blizzard last season.