The former Cornwall Thunder franchise took to the ice for the fourth time this week at Community Gardens on Thursday evening.
“It’s a great setup (in Kensington), and the management staff has done a great job putting things together,” said Carragher, who took over as head coach during last season and led the Thunder to the provincial title and final game of the Atlantic championship. “It’s been nothing but A-1 so far.
“We are looking forward to the challenge in Kensington this year.”
The Wild, who has a strong Prince County presence among the 40-plus players at training camp, will see their first game action this weekend in the league’s annual pre-season jamboree at the Red Ball Internet Centre in Moncton, N.B.
Defenceman Braeden Stewart, 3, attempts to take Jesse MacFarlane out of the play during an intrasquad game for the Kensington Wild at Community Gardens on Wednesday night.
“We will trim the roster down a little bit before this weekend,” said Carragher, who is the son of former Summerside Western Capitals head coach Ron Carragher. “We will bring about 30 guys to the jamboree tournament, and assess things from there.”
Both the Wild and the league’s other Island entry, Charlottetown Islanders, will play two games on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
As for this weekend, what exactly is the Wild’s coaching staff looking for?
“Basically, we’ll tell them to bring what they do best,” answered Carragher. “Compete level is a big thing, we’re looking for good character kids and I’ve seen a lot of that so far this week.
“Hopefully, we will see a lot more of that moving forward.”
The Wild also has some eligible returnees at major junior and junior A training camps. But waiting to hear if those players return or make the jump to a higher level is all part of the business, noted Carragher.
“It’s a ripple effect, just like other leagues are waiting for some guys from higher levels,” said Carragher. “But, so far, from what we’ve seen from the guys on the ice, we like what we see.”
The Wild’s regular-season home opener is against Saint John on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Source: The Journal Pioneer
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