Wings weekend exhibition games will feature fresh faces

It’s been a long time since the Aberdeen Wings played hockey. Twenty-seven weeks and six days to be exact.

But the Odde Ice Center will once again be occupied for the upcoming slate of exhibition games. The Wings start the homestand on Friday with the Bismarck Bobcats, and on Saturday, they face the Minot Minotauros. The games begin at 7:15 p.m.

“The way that season ended last year was tough,” head coach Scott Langer said. “Basically you’re playing one day and the next day you’re getting your kids out of town. The whole summer was, what if?”

Months of preparation was put in place from meetings with North American Hockey League officials and team owners. The plan delayed the regular season start time to Oct. 9, along with teams following state guidelines for safety measures.

The return to in-person training this week in itself was a feat. The league operates as a springboard for players into the next level, and game action is much needed.

“We have a lot of 20-year-olds that are going to need homes,” Langer said. “It feels good just to have the boys out there and be able to play the game that they love, the game that they’ve been working on for so long, for most of their life.”

Before the Wings begin, here is a look into what the season will bring for the squad.

The departed

The loss of key players to college commitments is common in junior hockey. The Wings dealt with 15 players moving on, which included some key losses.

The blue line took the brunt of the departures. Former captain Jake Beaune was drafted in May by the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League. Beaune’s 29 points last season tied him for the lead in points among defensemen.

In the crease, Henry Welsch left for his commitment to Division I program, UMass-Lowell. Welsch recorded a 1.99 goals against average and had two shutouts. The netminder’s .926 save percentage tied him for sixth in the league.

As if the departures weren’t enough in the back end, the front also has voids to fill. Leading scorer Jakob Breault left for Alaska-Fairbanks and Cooper Harr joined Canisius College.

“It’s been a busy offseason,” Langer said.

It took a lot of recruiting from the staff, but they are excited for the next chapter.

Fresh faces

Only 11 players from last year’s team remain, but Langer already likes what he’s seen throughout the week.

“Some of our identities that we went and recruited have definitely surfaced. Our skill level and our speed has definitely been noticeable,” he said. “It just takes some time for the new guys to get acclimated and find out what junior hockey is all about.”

Rookie forward Payton Matsui is already drawing comparisons to former Wings forward Joey Strada. The high-end skilled player is “a bit undersized, but he plays like he’s 6-foot tall out there.

“I think he might end up being a fan favorite,” Langer said.

Joining Matsui up front is Thomas Manty. Manty previously played with the Merritt Centennials of the British Columbia Hockey League. With the Centennials, Manty recorded 34 points — 12 goals and 22 assists.

At the blue line, the Wings add right-shot defenseman Liam Fraser after losing an impact skater on that side.

Between the pipes, Aberdeen added goalie Dominik Wasik in the NAHL Entry Draft in July. Wasik spent last season with the South Florida Hockey Academy and posted a .910 save percentage.

During the past week, Langer’s seen his rookies arrive at 7 a.m. and stay until the afternoon. The two practices a day have taken a toll, but the players have persisted.

“They’ve been hard-working,” Langer said. “Sometimes your mental game goes down a little bit. I thought for a full week prior to playing our guys worked extremely hard and hammered out the detail they’re going to need to play in (today’s) game.”

Back for more

Not every aspect of the Wings has changed from last season. Clayton Cosentino, one of last year’s contributors on offense, returns for his second season.

The Air Force commit will be one of their go-to guys in the front end. The forward came off a 31-point campaign that put him ahead of the other rookies on the team.

“He’s just a hard-working individual that really brings a lot to the table,” Langer said. “He’s a great person, and he plays on all our specialty teams.”

Forwards Spencer Schneider and Cade Neilson will also play a big role on offense this season. Natan Vertes, who has committed to Alaska-Fairbanks, also returns.

Blue liner Nico deVita returns this season after leading defensemen in plus-minus with 18. He has committed to play college hockey at Ferris State.

While the defense might look different, Trevor Russell made positive strides in the offseason to reduce the effects of turnover.

“I think Trevor Russell has really worked on his game, and he has really come in at great shape and ready to carry a lot of ice time out there for us.”

Overall, the Wings face challenges of a newer team, replacing key departures, and battling through a season during an uncertain time.

But one thing is certain.

On day 195, there was hockey.

Aberdeen Wings will play against Bismarck Bobcats at Odde Ice Center tonight at 7:15 p.m.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that Natan Vertes and Nico deVita were departures, but both are back with the team this season.

Natan Vertes and Nico deVita return to the Aberdeen Wings this season. That information has been corrected in this story.