The SJHL exhibition season is set to start Friday, and the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings are gearing up for their first game against the Estevan Bruins. 

When the Red Wings take to the ice, there will be a lot of new faces on the team. There are just ten returning players from last season on the pre-season roster, with 18 new players coming on board during the off-season. 

Today, we will introduce you to the new faces in camp, as they get set for the upcoming games. Up first, the forwards. 

Kyle Bailey - (01) 

Bailey comes to the Red Wings after spending the majority of last season with the Grand Forks Border Bruins of the KIJHL. The 19-year-old from Calgary played in 23 games last season with the Border Bruins, scoring 16 goals and adding 14 assists. 

Drew Kuzma - (02) 

Coming from the St. Albert Raiders U18 AAA program, where he wore an ‘A’ last season, Kuzma is a big body up front. Standing 6’4” and weighing in at 210 pounds, the St. Albert, Alberta native played 30 games last year and finished up with seven goals and eight assists.  

Jakob Kalin - (02) 

Originally from Calgary, Kalin spent last season playing with the Blyth Academy Warriors of the Prep School Hockey Federation. Skating in 22 games, Kalin picked up 17 goals and 21 assists, leading his team in scoring for the season.  

J.D. Hall - (02) 

Another Alberta native, Hall spent last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA program. He played in 30 games and scored 10 goals while helping out on six others. He also adds a little more size to the forward corps, coming in at 6’2” and 190 pounds.  

Jackson Hassman - (02) 

Another 18-year-old coming onto the roster, Hassman played with the Cariboo Cougars U18 AAA team last season. Over the course of the 40 games, Hassman scored two goals and helped out on 19 others. His play helped his team to a 27-10-2 record, as they looked to defend their league championship. 

Elvis Gorontzy-Slack - (02) 

Another big body with a scoring touch, Gorontzy-Slack was a teammate of Kyle Bailey last season. With the Border Bruins, Slack led the team in scoring with 28 goals and 22 assists. Standing 6’2”, and weighing in at 203 pounds, he should be a presence in the offensive zone. 

Ethan Whillans - (02) 

Whillans is another player from St. Albert, who will be looking to leave his mark with the Red Wings. He spent last season with the U18 AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers but is no stranger to some of the other players with the Red Wings. He played minor hockey with Drew Kuzma and Matthew Reidy. Last year, Whillans finished with seven goals and four assists in 32 games. 

Mathew Rathbone - (01) 

Rathbone comes to the Red Wings after spending last season with the Edson Aeros of the WSHL. The year before, he played with the St. Albert Raiders U18 AAA squad. His season last year, though, was outstanding by the numbers, with 36 goals and 48 assists in just 44 games. He also notched 1222 penalty minutes. 

Matthew Reidy - (02) 

Another native of St. Albert, Alberta, Reidy played with the U18 AAA program in his hometown last season, where he was a teammate of Drew Kuzma. Another sizable body in the lineup, Reidy picked up seven goals and nine assists last season over the course of 30 games. 

Noah Westgate - (00) 

Westgate is originally from Leduc, Alberta, and has played two seasons of Junior A hockey, spending time with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, Olds Grizzlys and Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Last season, with Wayway, Westgate scored seven goals and added 13 assists in 49 games.  

Austyn Hansen - (02) 

Hansen comes from northern Alberta – Grande Prairie to be specific and is a bit of a two-way player. He has been known to skate as a forward, and also spend time as a defenseman. Last season, he played with the Grande Prairie Storm U18 AAA team, where he scored four goals and added seven assists.  

Connor McGrath - (03) 

The youngest player in camp this year, McGrath will also be a force to be reckoned with. Originally from LeRoy, he has found the back of the net at every level he has played at, including U15, U16 and U18. He spent last season with the Moose Jaw Warriors U18 AAA team, where he scored 23 goals and added 26 assists, leading his team in scoring. 

Now a look at the defensemen who are new to the team. 

Colby Bechthold - (02) 

Coming from Boyle, Alberta, Bechthold spent the past two seasons patrolling the blueline of the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers U18 AAA team. There, he was a teammate of Ethan Whillans. Bechthold played in 32 games last season, and while he didn’t score in the regular season, he did add five assists. He also scored a goal in the playoffs. 

Ian Maier - (02) 

Coming from Lethbridge, Maier is looking to make his impression in the Junior A ranks. He played last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA team and appeared in 30 games with the hometown squad. He scored two goals, and added five assists in the regular season, and had four more assists in six playoff games. 

Brock Wallace - (00) 

A defenseman who has over 100 penalty minutes, and nearly a point per game production? That’s exactly what Wallace brings to the table with the Red Wings. Originally from Grande Prairie, he played with the Beaver Valley NiteHawks of the KIJHL last season, where he scored 12 goals while adding 20 assists in 35 games. 

Nolan Cunningham - (02) 

A highly touted prospect in Red Wings camp this season, Cunningham played last season at Kents Hill School in Massachusetts, where he wore an A for the team. In 18 games, he scored two goals and added eight assists. The native of Lake Newell Resort in Alberta has spent a number of years playing south of the border. 

Liam Antoniuk - (01) 

While he is a new face in Weyburn, he is not a rookie by any stretch of the imagination. Antoniuk comes to the Wings from the Battlefords North Stars, where he patrolled the blueline in 45 games. Over the course of the season, he added seven assists. He is known to have leadership qualities as well, having been the captain of his U18 AAA team. 

What about in the crease? 

Rylan Labrie - (02) 

Labrie is originally from Lethbridge but spent last season south of the border where he played with the Helena Bighorns of the NA3HL. In 18 appearances, he posted a GAA of 4.43, and a save percentage of .897.