By Jeff D'Andrea

New-look Mintos prepare for fall camp

Aug 16, 2011 | 5:38 PM

The Prince Albert Mintos general manager Don Fauchoux is optimistic heading into the season, and has many reasons to be.

Five of those reasons lay in the rookie class, the Mintos five players from the Venice House Pirates that dominated the bantam provincials and earned a trip to the Western Canadians in Winnipeg.

Headlined by two WHL first round draft picks in defenceman Jordan Harris (Prince George Cougars, 10th overall) and power-forward Miles Warkentine (Moose Jaw Warriors, 18th overall), the Mintos will welcome third-round Lethbridge Hurricane pick Bryton Sayers, Prince Albert Raiders sixth-rounder

Lance Yaremchuk and Ryan Duret, who lead the Centre Four Hockey League in scoring with 109 points in just 24 games and was picked by the Calgary Hitmen in the sixth round.

“We have a good nucleus of returnees coming back and those five bantams coming up that really help win provincials and go to Westerns, that’s going to be a big boost for us,” said Fauchoux. “Yeah, they’re young, but these guys are quality and they’re not going to disappoint, I’m sure.”

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In terms of some key returnees, defenceman Sawyer Lange leads the group. He was second in scoring for SMAAAHL d-men as a 16-year-old with 36 points in 42 games, and provided he doesn’t make the Prince Albert Raiders this year, Fauchoux figures he could be a league MVP candidate.

“He’s going to be, maybe be the best D in the league, and maybe the MVP of the league, in our opinion, right now,” said Fauchoux.

The Mintos could also return a strong forward grouping of Adam Fauchoux, Jordan Tkatch and Landon Belchamber as long as WHL and SJHL clubs keep their hands off during their fall camps.

But if there is one question mark the team will have to address, it's between the pipes.

The Mintos will lose both of last year's goaltenders Taran Kozun to the Kamloops Blazers and Dawson MacAuley to the Medicine Hat Tigers that backstopped the Mintos to the provincial league championship last year.

Fauchoux said the team didn't find any replacements at their spring camp and will have to do so at the team’s fall camp Saturday and Sunday at the Art Hauser Centre.

“At spring camp, nothing really glared to us, we’ll have to start over at fall camp,” said Fauchoux. “We have to come up with a good combination there to help us, because those guys (Kozun and MacAuley) will be tough to replace.”

The Mintos Fall Camp starts on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday at the Art Hauser Centre.

jdandrea@panow.com