The Buffalo Stars Junior Hockey Club will begin their 11th season of operation with the start of Training Camp on Wednesday, August 1st in Cheektowaga.
The month long camp will include 3 on ice and 3 off-ice sessions each week through the end of the month. Players will undergo a rigorous conditioning regimen as well as team and system work.
The Stars enter camp with 27 players including 6 veterans. Returning Empire veterans include Forwards: Brandon Boyle; Dakota John; Patrick Schmelzinger and Luke Swimline. Returning on Defense are: Mike Harris and Angelo Sarro.
The Stars will play in the tough Empire Junior Hockey League American Conference with their youngest team ever. With an average age of 16 years and 3 months, the Stars will be one of the youngest teams in Junior hockey.
The team took a new direction this year said Stars Owner/GM Pete Preteroti: “Not only did we go with a youth movement, but also recruited from outside of the area. Our team has 8 out of state players with 6 coming from Erie, one from Ohio and one from the Philadelphia area”.
Preteroti has stepped down as head coach of the team turning that job over to long time Stars/Hornets Coach Jerry Wheeler. “I really like the group of kids we selected this year. They are young and hungry and eager to compete” “That is the edge we are looking for”.
The Stars camp wraps up with the Annual Greater Buffalo Challenge Labor Day Tournament, August 31 through September 3rd at Holiday Twin Rinks. The week prior, the team will travel to Lake Placid for 3 days of intense training at the United States Olympic Training Center. The team will house and train at the Olympic Facility as well as skate in the 1980 Rink where the USA Miracle on ice happened. On the way to Lake Placid the team will stop off at Oswego College for a tour of the facility with Head Coach Ed Gosek and a scrimmage game against the Syracuse Stars.
Buffalo will open their 2012-2013 Home Season on October 13th as they host the visiting Jersey Wildcats in the Buffalo Stars Annual Salute to the American Troops Weekend.
For more information about the Buffalo Stars visit us on line at: www.buffalostars.com
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