The Wheatland Kings are ready to get back to doing what they love and bring hockey back to Strathmore.

The team will be hosting their camp this weekend from Friday, August 20 to Sunday, August 21. Players born between 2001- 2006 can still sign up on the Kings website here or can walk up on Friday to tryout.

Lee Smith, the Kings General Manager this season, is geared up to host the Kings main camp this weekend and they are ready to build their team after a shortened 2020-2021 season.

"We've kind of got a mix this year, we do have a strong core this year, but we're definitely going to be younger this year than we have been in the past," Smith went on to note that he has talked with other team managers who are saying the same thing as some of their older players found other interests during the pandemic.

Smith is ready to get to work building a strong team with younger players that are itching to get back on the ice. The league consists of 16 teams with 8 teams in the Kings South division. The Kings will kick off the season in September.

"Our first exhibition game will be against Three Hills on September 3rd, then Three Hills will be coming back to Strathmore on September 10, and our league opens up on September 18th against Cochrane."

With fans being allowed in the arena this season Smith has explained that fans can purchase tickets online or at the door this season to support the team throughout the year.

The Kings found success with their progressive 50/50 that they ran in their last full season and are set to do the same again this year explained Smith through their website.

For a team like the Kings, it cannot happen without volunteers and sponsorships said Smith, "We have a volunteer group that's kind of established already and we're always looking for more volunteers, that's for sure. And they can just contact me at 403-998-8466 to join us this season."

For those who would like to sponsor the team for the upcoming season Smith can be contacted to discuss options, "We'll take just about any sponsorship that's available, we have lots of packets out to lots of different community businesses around we're still looking for more sponsorship."

There is no doubt that the team is ready to get back to playing hockey and entertaining fans in Strathmore, "We're really excited to get back to hockey. We're going to be a pretty youthful group this year. Ron West will still be our head coach, and we've brought on Derek Riley as a defensive specialist. We're going to be starting to build for the future a lot more this year than we have in the past."

The team has been holding summer skates and already have 25 players signed up for this year's main camp, these camps have sold out in the past for players who want to want to tryout pre-registration is recommended.