A local minor hockey team carved their mark into the hockey season late in September.

The Bantam AAA Val Matteoti Golden Hawks kicked off its campaign on Sept. 21 with a single win in three games against teams from Calgary, Leduc and Okotoks. Their lone win came at Nicholas Sheran Arena where the team came away with a 4-0 shutout.

The Golden Hawks’ roster was finalized just a mere six days before the start of the regular season, not allowing much chemistry to be formed between new teammates.

Brendan Harper, head coach of the Golden Hawks, insisted this hockey season is not just about winning, instead its skills development for all these young players.

“The nice is thing is that they are all the best athletes for their age groups. They’re high-performance athletes and know what it takes to be one. It’s our job to develop them and guide them in the right way. That part of my philosophy hasn’t changed from Midget AAA to Bantam AAA,” said Harper.

The minor hockey coach made the switch from an assistant coach with the Midgets to head coach with the Bantam’s this season, his first at an elite hockey level.

Harper said that despite this season being focused on development, he feels like their team can contend and finish near the top of the league standings.

“We have a team that is capable of doing anything. I do believe that. They’re a hardworking group of kids, and they set their expectations in terms of what we as a team want to do. I think anything is possible this year,” said Harper.

The Golden Hawks bench boss selected seven first-year players on the team this season, much more than the average of first-time eligible players selected to play for the Golden Hawks’ teams of past years.

The Western Hockey League draft happens on the first Thursday in May each year. At that time the top second-year bantam players (2005 birth year this year) are selected.

Lethbridge has a couple of talents drawing some draft interest, forwards John Szabo and Ty Fraser amongst others.

Fraser, a returning forward from last year’s Golden Hawks team, has set his personal and team expectations high.

“I want to try and be drafted as high as possible. I want to try and help carry this team as far as we can during the regular season and into playoffs,” said Fraser.

The forward said despite the attention and extra eyes on him from WHL scouts, it’s important to work as hard as possible.

“I just try and play the best hockey that I can and you know that everyone is watching, so you have to bring you’re A-game at all times,” said Fraser.

Fraser is currently tied for his team lead in points, with a goal and two assists in three games played.

When asked about how to handle these extra pressures that his draft-eligible players put on themselves, Harper said the draft is so far away and the players can’t control what happens in the distant future. Harper insists that focusing on one game at a time is the better course of action.

“The draft is a long way away. The season is long so there is a lot of extra room for development and everything like that. I think we have a real good crop of ‘05’s that could see some draft expectations. At the end of the day, it is still a long time away and that pressure will certainly amount over the course of the season, but it is something I am very confident the kids can handle,” said Harper.

The first-time head coach hopes to take in all the learning experiences after his first year at the helm is finished. Learning from the mistakes he will make and adjusting to what works is the biggest thing he wants to take with him as a coach.

The Golden Hawks head onto the road for the next three games with stops in Airdrie, Red Deer and Medicine Hat. The team will return to home ice on Oct. 13 when they take on the Calgary Royals.

For more up-to-date statistics and coverage of the city’s Bantam AAA team, head to ambhl.ab.ca