The Valencia Flyers head into their Main Camp this weekend looking to add some new faces to a list of veterans that is growing by the day.

A handful of players from last years’ squad have either aged out or moved on to other levels of junior hockey. The returning core of veterans however, could be as lethal as any the Western States Hockey League has to show. Granted, they still have to skate hard to make the team and Coach Sack is not handing spots to anybody based on previous performances.

Below is a short list of veterans that will be attending Main Camp:

Forwards

Smbat Defterderian-                     

 Smbat showed his toughness last year by battling in the corners and dropping the mitts early and often. This season he will be asked to provide more offensive punch, and with solid hands and a howitzer of a wrist shot, it should not be a problem. With a few tough rookies looking to crack the lineup, he should be able to focus more on scoring and less on the fisticuffs.

Edy Keshishian-

The younger brother of last season’s assistant captain and crafty veteran Harout, should be able to log more ice time and gain more confidence this season. E.K. showed speed and skill toward the end of last season and will look to build upon that in camp.

Tyler McGreevy-

Tyler was one of the best mid-season pick-ups in the league last season, when the Flyers gobbled him up from Helena of the NORPAC. McGreevy is a checking center who can also put the puck in the net. He plays physical and rarely takes a shift off. He also shows great leadership and could be a favorite to wear a letter this season.

Evan Sharpshair-

Evan never really found his touch last season, as it must have been tough being in and out of the lineup as a rookie. This season that should all change, as “Sharpie” will be logging bigger minutes and should be able to take advantage of some more ice time.

 
Alex Stephens-

The Bellingham, Washington native provides much needed size and strength to a skilled lineup. Alex uses his size to shield the puck and crashes the net hard. His slap shot could be one of the best in the league. Stephens is another guy that is also good in the locker room and whom teammates love.

David Tagvoryan-

“Tags” may have the best hands in the league. A few of his shootout goals from last season could have made SportsCenters’ “Top 10 Plays”. The 20 year-old winger should benefit from having more skill around him, as the shifty veteran makes plays out of nothing but sometimes tries to do too much. Look for Tagvoryan to really step up his game this season and provide some punch to the Flyers power play.

Defensemen

Alex Descheneaux-

Last season as a 16 year-old rookie, “Desch” was moved from forward to defense early in the season and took it in stride. He makes up for lack of size with solid positioning and above average skating. He loves to play the body and fared well in a handful of scraps last season. Look for Alex to log huge minutes on the back-end this season.

Jake Ryan-

Jake is a guy that came to the Flyers late in the season last year and struggled to adapt to the speed of junior hockey over his first few games. About five games in or so, he blossomed into one of the top defensemen on the team. Jake plays the body often and keeps it safe with his outlet passes. He has an uncanny ability to get his shot through from the point.

Joey Yaller-

A leg injury early in the season last year really hampered Joey’s ability to get going. When he finally was healthy late in the season he provided the Flyers with a steady 5^th defensemen. If Joey can keep healthy this year he can very easily see a more expanded role.

Goaltenders

Taylor Nelson-

Nelson took advantage of some playing time late in the season and will go into main camp looking to secure the starting job. He is not the biggest of goaltenders but he moves well and kicks his rebounds out of harm’s way.

Andrew Lux-

Luxy is looking to return to the Flyers for his third season and he’s not even 17. He went through some growing pains last year but returns poised to take the starting job. He makes the big saves more often than not but needs to work on making the timely save in order to crack the team.

Also, a few players local to Valencia and the surrounding area will be working hard to make the roster this weekend as well. They all come from the California Heat youth organization and could become some of the new faces donning a Flyers jersey this season.

LOCAL BOYS:

Ricky Bolanos-

Ricky has been working hard this off-season to be ready come September. He’s not a big guy, but his speed and hands should be more than enough to get him on the team as a speedy winger.

Michael Knapp-

Knapp is as big as they come. his size, strength and toughness will be much appreciated. He is also versatile and can play both forward and defense, which won’t hurt his chances of making the team. He’s on a long list of guys that have been working hard all summer.

Ryan Smith-

Ryan is another guy like Ricky Bolanos; he has been working his tail off all summer in hopes of making the team. He battles hard every shift and is often the first man on the puck. His speed on the wings could jolt him up the depth chart very soon.

 
Stephen Palmer-

Last but not least is the goaltender Stephen Palmer. He’s jet-setted around this summer going to tryout camps all over the United States and Canada and has gotten long looks from solid Tier II and even Tier I programs. He decided to stay at home and finish his senior year at Valencia High School along with all three of the aforementioned players. When Palmer is on his game he is as hard to beat as any goalie you’ll see in the WSHL.

With all things considered, this weekend’s main camp is bound  to be a battle to make the 25-man roster. With an array of talent, toughness, speed and skill on display over three days of camp (which is open to the public), it should make for a team more than ready to make a run at the WSHL’s Thorne Cup.

Below is a tentative schedule for the weekend:

Friday August 27:                             Time                                                      Event

                                                       4:45-5:30 PM                                        Player Registration

                                                       6:15-7:15 PM                                        Practice #1

                                                       7:30-8:30 PM                                        Practice #2

Saturday August 28:                        Time                                                      Event

                                                       9:30-11:00 AM                                     Player Fitness Testing

                                                      11:30-12:45 PM                                    Game #1

                                                       1:00-2:15 PM                                       Game #2

                                                       3:45-4:45 PM                                       Goalie Session

                                                       6:30-7:45 PM                                       Game #3

                                                       8:00-9:15 PM                                       Game #4

Sunday August 29:                           Time                                                      Event

                                                        9:45-11:00 AM                                    Game #5

                                                        11:15-12:30 PM                                   Game #6

                                                         4:30-5:45 PM                                      All Star Game