Mintos add former pro Byers to staff ahead of exhibition opener

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“I’m very excited,” said Byers. “Tim reached out to me. Obviously, hockey has been a big part of my life. It’s been a few years since I’ve played pro but it’s nice to get back into the game in some sort of way.”

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Byers is also coaching his three young sons, and he hopes his time learning from coaches like Leonard will make him a better coach for both the Mintos and his own boys. As for what he hopes to impart to the young players, he’s got a lot of experience to draw on.

“I think I’ve experienced everything a player can feel as far as the emotional side of things,” said Byers. “I’ve been cut off teams, I’ve made teams, I’ve played pro for many years and was fortunate to be a captain for many teams in pro. I had a cup of coffee in the best league in the world. I’ve had all of those experiences and hopefully I can pass on some of my knowledge.”

The work for Byers and the other coaches begins tonight as the team opens up their exhibition schedule in Tisdale against the Trojans. An incoming crop of young players will have their first chance to make a good impression against outside competition.

“Between both the Western Hockey League draft and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League draft, I think just about all of our 07s were picked somewhere, so it’s pretty exciting,” said Wright. “We like the incoming young guys. We think they’re going to jump right in and start producing and being a big part of the team right off the bat.”

Byers echoed his GMs assessment of their young talent. With a weekend of back-to-back games ahead and a home tilt against the Warman Wildcats tomorrow night, he was optimistic about the talent level.

“I’ve been away from AAA midget hockey for a lot of years and this is my first taste back, seeing what the skill level is,” said Byers. “I can tell you right now the skill level, the skating ability these players have is well ahead of the years when I was playing. I’m excited. I think the team looks very good at this point in time of the year.”

The game tomorrow at the Art Hauser Centre will begin at 7:00 p.m..

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP