The Kenai River Brown Bears open their 19th season with games at the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, at 4 p.m. AKDT.
The games will mark the North American Hockey League head coaching debut for Darren Banks, as he becomes the 12th head coach or interim coach to lead the Bears.
Last year, Taylor Shaw led the squad to a 21-30-4-4 mark before stepping down after four seasons to spend more time with his wife and stepchildren in Minnesota.
Kenai River finished seventh in the Midwest Division. The Steel were fourth in the division and made the playoffs before losing in the first round.
Banks will be trying to lead the franchise to the playoffs for the third time in the past six seasons. Before that stretch, the Bears had not made the playoffs in six straight seasons.
After last season, Kenai River had 20 players eligible to return this season. Banks said he didn’t want to get into specific numbers, but he said returners will be a key part of the team this season.
He said some are even going into their third year of junior hockey, and some will be in their third year with the Bears.
“They’ve gone through a junior season,” he said. “They’ve experienced the grind of it.
“I think they’ve done a really nice job with our incoming players, just the culture that they have in the locker room, the camaraderie that they have.”
Banks said the team spent two weeks in Breezy Point, Minnesota, for training camp. This week, the Bears are with their Minneapolis billets getting ready for the season opener.
“The guys have been working hard,” Banks said. “We’re excited to play some games.”
Banks said the talk in the locker room is focusing on the present.
“I hope that we play a fast and competitive game,” he said. “We want to compete the right way, and we want to be detailed.
“The hope for Friday is that we are out on the right foot and we compete the right way for 60 minutes.”
The team will be on the road for the first seven games. The home opener will be Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex against the Minnesota Wilderness.
Banks was on the central peninsula in mid-August for the Bears golf tournament. He was impressed with the event and the community.
“I know our new players are excited to get up to Kenai to meet everybody, and be around the area and the people,” he said.
