The ice is back at Valley Park, and the Stoney Creek Warriors are ready to kick off their 2008/09 Golden Horseshoe League season this Saturday night with a battle against the Welland Jr. Canadians.

According to Warriors' general manager Dave Hill, local fans can expect a fast and energetic team.

"We're still filling in a few blanks, but I think we will be a very competitive team with loads of finishing power," he said.

As is the case almost every season, the Warriors were forced to rebuild the team over the summer after losing players to age and to higher level teams.

Team captain Mike Kavanagh, assistant Greg Bryl, Jordan Poole and Curtis Winger ended their junior hockey careers at the end of last season due to age.

The Warriors also traded Riley Steeves to Niagara Falls and Adam Montgomery to St. Catharines. Scoring leader Andrew Dovey is currently with Oakville Tier II A, and last year's rookie of the year Jordan Winger signed earlier in the summer with Burlington. Also gone to Tier II A are Cayle Creen, Dylan Ellis and Jake Lyons.

Hill said one of the toughest experiences over the summer was attempting to keep Steeves in a Warriors' jersey.

"He's going to Brock and we looked at every option to try and keep him here and get him back-and-forth from school," said Hill. "In the end, we had to do what was in Riley's best interest, and that was to let him play in Niagara Falls. It was really hard. Riley wanted to stay, and he was a key part of our team."

To bolster the depleted ranks, Hill said he was excited to land former OHL defenceman and Hamilton native Peter Mrksic, a 6'5", 225 pounder who split last season between the Owen Sound Attack and the Georgetown Raiders of the OPJHL.

"He's a big defenceman who will help shore up our blueline and bring a lot of toughness to our team," said Hill.

Back for another season are Jordan Gignac, Marcus and David Ruberto, Jason Popek, Mitch Merante, Aaron Gorka and Mike Gibson.

Returning to the Warriors after a season in Milton is Kevin Rebelo, who had 14 goals and 9 assists in 44 games last year.

The team has also signed some key players from Jr. C, including goaltender Colton Sauer from Dunville, Jeff Least from Glanbrook, and Richard Recchia from Dundas.

Sauers was a standout netminder on a weak team and often faced 80 shots a night said Hill. Least, a defenceman, recorded 35 points last season in Glanbrook, while Recchia has 14 points in 20 games with Dundas.

Also signed is Jim Franks, a 20-year-old McMaster student from St. Catharines who has been out of hockey for the past two years.

"Franks was a standout in AAA, but stopped playing when he came to Mac," said Hill. "I'm very excited he decided to play for us. He's a strong forward that plays with a lot of passion and hits everything that moves."

The Warriors opened the season last night (September 4) on the road in Wheatfield. Results were not available at press time.

"There are still some pieces of the puzzle that will come together this week," said Hill, noting he was keeping a close eye on Tier II A cuts. "We are in no rush. We are trying to be very methodical in how we build this team and who we sign. In previous years I think we jumped the gun and signed players too early. I've been actively recruiting players since May, and we are starting to see some of the fruits of that labour."

Hill promised fans the Warriors will play an exciting brand of hockey this season, and the team is looking forward to interlocking games with the Mid-West and Western Leagues under the umbrella of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

"Fans will enjoy our brand of hockey," said Hill. "The interlocking schedule should generate some new interest, and fans will get a chance to see some different teams."

The Warriors will play a total of seven games against teams from the other two leagues. The first game at Valley Park Arena is November 13 when the Warriors host Cambridge.

After this weekend, the Warriors hot the road for St. Catharines where they face off against the Falcons September 12. The next home is September 13, when Stoney Creek hosts Wheatfield.

This Saturday's home opener features a number of special events and promotions. Game time at Valley Park Arena is 7:30 p.m.