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Coach's Corner

WEEK OF 8/23/10

Main Camp concludes with high expectations for the upcoming season. Sunday’s All-Star game proved that the Wildcat’s will be a very different team this year. We met with players and parents, took individual photos, and prepared our players for the upcoming Training Camp. Players will check-in next weekend and we will be on the ice on Monday, August 30th. 

I would like to take this time to thank all players and prospects who attended any of our camps. If you would like more information regarding development, contact one of our staff members. 
Now our attention turns to Friday, September 10th, the Wildcat’s first game of the season against the Edina Lakers at the Maple Grove arena. Ticket information can be found on our website. Season tickets are now available for purchase. We look forward to seeing all of our fans at the rink.
Coach Liesmaki

WEEK OF 8/11/10

I would like to apologize to the Wildcats fans for the lack of updates recently. Our staff, including me, has been very busy recruiting for Main Camp. We attended camps for Austin, Owatonna, and Kenai River. We have been working with many coaches to ensure this team has top level talent. We will be in attendance this weekend at Aberdeen’s Young Prospects Camp in Roseville, MN. 

I personally attended the Main Camp for our North American Hockey League (Tier-II) affiliate, the Fresno Monsters. The Fresno staff identified several players who would develop and excel in our organization. These players would be future call-ups for Fresno.
In terms of recruiting, we are working hard to identify and secure our last two tenders that are available. We have spoken to numerous players about attending our Main Camp. Our team roster will be posted on Sunday at the conclusion of our Main Camp. This will signal the end of our recruiting season and the beginning our regular season. The players will be given a week off and training camp begins at 6:00am on Monday morning, August 30th.
Lastly, we are still in the process of recruiting host families. Host families are a key to the success of a junior hockey organization. It allows us to recruit the best players from across the world. If you are interested, please click on the Housing Family link on our homepage.
Coach Liesmaki

WEEK OF 7/13/10

Main Camp mania continues for the coaching and scouting staffs. This past weekend we attended the Austin Bears Main Camp in Superior, WI. Due to the relationship with their coaching staff, I was asked to work one of the benches during the tryout. We have inquired about several players from that camp who we expect to attend our Main Camp. In a couple weeks, we will attend the second Austin Main Camp in Hudson, WI. We will also have scouts covering the camps for Owatonna and Kenai River. 

Our Main Camp registration is beginning to pick-up. We have had a good response so far and will continue our efforts until our camp is full. Players should sign-up immediately to ensure that a spot is held for them. If you wish to be considered for an invite to Main Camp, please contact me.
As we approach the season, we have a tentative league schedule in place. We will be placing it on the website as soon as it is finalized. If you would like a preview, feel free to contact me.
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 7/6/10

Turning our attention to our Main Camp also means turning our attention to main camps held by teams in the NAHL. We have recently been in attendance at the Topeka Roadrunners and Coulee Region Chill camps. I will personally be attending the main camp for the Austin Bears this weekend. In August I will be attending the main camp for the Fresno Monsters. Since we are officially affiliated with Fresno, I will be bringing a few of our veteran players and top prospects to this camp.

In addition to our scouting efforts, we continue to finalize scheduling for our Main Camp and training camp that will follow. We intend on having 4 full teams for Main Camp. Our training camp will be very intense. Players who are expecting to participate should be in playing shape prior to arriving at training camp.
Lastly, you can follow more regular updates by me on Twitter under MN_Wildcats. We hope to add a widget to our webpage that will take you there.
Coach Liesmaki

WEEK OF 6/20/2010

We are pleased to announce that our Open Camp was very successful this past weekend. I personally had a great time meeting several of the veteran players. We had two of our tendered players (Kyle Schultz and Matt Lindquist) skate in the last game on Sunday. At the conclusion of camp, we invited several players back to our Main Camp. We also offered a couple players tender agreements. We will be announcing the status of those tenders very soon. 

Although many NAHL camps are still in progress, our staff was pleased with the level of talent at the camp. As we have told all prospective players, we plan on filling a roster of Tier II level players that didn’t find the right fit with a Tier II team. With that said, we are certainly on our way to that goal. 
Our attention has now turned to our Main Camp. Main Camp is an invite only camp. This camp will consist of all veteran players, tenders, and invites from our Open Camp. In addition, we will also have players who were the last cuts from NAHL teams. Invitations to Main Camp will be sent out shortly. 
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 6/14/2010

This is it. Open Camp officially begins in a few days. Players continue to register every day. We are currently full on goalies. However, our Directory of Hockey Operations, Cal, has a list in case we have cancellations. If you would like to be added to that list, please contact him. Registration will be available at the door for last minute arrivals. However, we do encourage you to sign-up online if possible.

This past week we were excited to sign Kyle Schultz (Amery, Wisconsin) to a Tender Agreement. Kyle helped lead the Amery Warriors to a 16-7-1 record last season. He was second in scoring on the team with 41 goals and 30 assists in 23 games. Kyle (6’4” and 180 lbs) will bring great size along with tremendous offensive firepower. We currently have 3 other players considering Tender Offers. We will keep you updated on that status of those offers.
We look forward to seeing everyone at camp this weekend.
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 6/4/2010

Open Camp is now only two weeks away (June 18 -20). We continue to have players sign-up daily.   The coaching staff and scouts are excited to see the players on the ice. Numerous hours have been put in by our staff at NAHL camps and in contact with potential players. We do have spots still available for players looking to skate. If you have questions, feel free to contact me or one of our other staff members. 

In preparation for next year, we have been preparing our offseason strength & conditioning program. This will be given to players after Open Camp. Preparations have begun for our Invite Only Camp and the subsequent Intense Training Camp. 
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 5/17/2010

The scouting season is in full swing. We have had attendance at camps for the Springfield Jr Blues, Aberdeen Wings, Fairbanks Ice Dogs, and the Coulee Region Chill. We are in the process of breaking down rosters from these camps and contacting kids about the potential of skating for the Wildcats this upcoming season. This next weekend we will be attending camps for the Fresno Monsters, Alaska Avalanche, and the Bismark Bobcats. We will also be in attendance at the Junior Prospect Showcase in Colorado. 

I am also excited to announce the signing of Nick Drill. Nick will be joining the Wildcats organization from the Madison Capitals AAA Major team. The Capitals were recently rated amongst the Top 10 U.S. Hockey Prep Programs. Nick was one of the most complete players I saw at the Midwest Xposure Elite Tournament. 
And finally, another reminder that our Open Camp (June 18-20th) is starting to fill up. Players should be sure to register as soon as possible.   
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 5/2/10

Our busy scouting season is well underway. We attended the CCM Invitational in Plymouth (April 23-25) and just finished up at the Midwest Xposure Elite Tournament at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, MN (April 30 – May 2). We are pleased to have tendered Matt Lindquist from Thief River Falls. Matt is a big kid who will be very successful for us next year. We are currently in discussions with several other prospects who may sign tenders shortly. Coming up next are several NAHL camps and the Mr. Mr. Hockey Showcase in Madison. Our Open Camp (June 18-20th) is starting to fill up. Players should be sure to get their spot early. 

Coach Liesmaki

WEEK OF 4/9/2010

 

I am very excited to announce the hiring of two new coaches for the Wildcats Organization. We have hired Mike Glowack as the assistant coach and Gary Boros as the new strength and conditioning coach. Mike previously coached in International Falls and will bring a great perspective to the team. Gary Boros is a top personal trainer at Gold’s Gym and the reigning national power-lifting champion in his weight group. We have also added some new scouts to our team. The webpage will have scouts information loaded soon.
Our attention has now turned to recruiting and filling our Open Try-Out camp in June. Stay tuned…
Coach Liesmaki

Week of 3/22/2010

Greetings and welcome to the Coach’s Corner. I will be using this area to keep everyone updated on current news regarding the Wildcats organization. Since being hired as the new head coach, I have been busy getting familiar with the organization. We are currently in the process of hiring the rest of the coaching staff and have already begun recruiting efforts for the 2010-2011 season.