30 Skaters Hope to Make Cut in ‘Competitive’ Buccaneers Training Camp

A post on the Des Moines Buccaneers web site:

Toting large bags of clothes, personal items and hockey equipment the prospective members of the Des Moines Buccaneers have arrived in town for the start of training camp this season. 

Coming from various parts of the United States, as well as Europe, some are returners, some are newcomers and all of them want to make sure they're on the final roster in two weeks.

A number of the players who will skate with the team over the next two weeks are almost certain to make the roster. However, with more than 30 players involved in camp this season, not all will make the final 25-man roster announced in the days before the September 21st season opener at home against Sioux Falls. So as head coach Jon Rogger and his staff embark on their second training camp in charge of the Buccaneers' on-ice performance they have some tough and important decisions to make.

"If each of the players we've brought in perform the way we expect, there is no doubt we're going to have some really tough decisions" says Rogger. "That is what we want.  A competitive camp".

The team begins practicing on Tuesday before traveling to Tri-City on Saturday for their first pre-season game.

Familiar Faces

The Buccaneers have 13 players in camp who played with the team last season and this includes leading goal scorer and Urbandale native Willem Nong-Lambert. Though the team's top three total point producers have moved on (Joe Gambardella, Eric Martinsson and Axel Wemmenborn), the team does have six of their top 10 point producers of a season ago returning.

Ryan Galt, Jack Jenkins and Michael Marnell who skated on the same line most of last season and served as the poster players to the team's youth movement are all back. Galt and Marnell each had 15 goals and Jenkins had 21 assists.

In all, the youth of the 2012-2013 team has morphed into the experienced squad for 2013-2014.

The team also has back goaltender Billy Christopoulos, giving the Bucs a returning goaltender for one of the few times in the last decade. He is looking to build off a good rookie season while being paired with the team's first pick in May's Phase II Draft, Michael Madsen.

Class Time

A majority of the Buccaneers' players came into town over the last several days but a handful have already been here since mid-August to attend classes at Valley High School in West Des Moines. The Buccaneers and Valley High School have been long-standing partners with the school district accommodating anywhere from a couple to a dozen players in any given year. The school is also flexible with class schedules for players to attend afternoon practices and occasionally miss time due to travel.

Some players who have already graduated high school, are also taking classes at Des Moines Area Community College in order to keep pace with their higher education studies. Completing course work at DMACC allows players to get a head start on college credits while at the same time not affecting their four-year eligibility.

Getting Involved

The Buccaneers are once again preparing for an active community appearance calendar and it gets going in earnest in September with mascots and players attending a number of events. A mascot and/or players, will be involved in the Alzheimer's Walk, the Walk out of the Darkness, Beaverdale Fall Fest, The St. Anthony's Fall Festival, the Over the Edge Event, the Rock-n-Run, the Fight for Air Walk and more.

Pre-Season Games Set

The Buccaneers will play five pre-season games this season with two of them taking place at home. The schedule is altered from previous seasons with the USHL scaling back the annual Fall Classic in Sioux City to include only those teams in the Western Conference such as the Buccaneers.

A separate event is being held for the Eastern Conference teams.

Here’s the pre-season schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 7, @Tri-City, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 11, Lincoln @ Sioux city, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 12, Fargo @ Sioux City, 10 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 13,  vs. Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14, s. Omaha, 7:05 p.m.

The Des Moines Buccaneers are preparing for their 34th consecutive season in the United States Hockey League.  Since 1980, the Buccaneers have produced hundreds of NCAA Division I players and dozens of professional alumni. Season Ticket Packages and Corporate Partnership information for the 2013-2014 season is available by calling (515) 278-2827.