Waywayseecappo Wolveriens ready for 2026 MJHL training camp to begin

The Waywayseecappo Wolverines are just over a week away from opening their 2026 training camp, and head coach and general manager Landon Cochrane likes what he sees heading into his third season with the club.

Cochrane says the Wolverines had a productive off-season, staying in close contact with their returning players while adding depth and experience to the lineup.

“Yeah, I think we had a very successful off-season,” Cochrane said, “We had a lot of good communication with the returning guys. We’re excited for a lot of the guys I’ve brought in heading into my third year.”

The Wolverines added veteran experience up front, including Manitoba product Ian Buors and Ryder Duchon.

Boers, who has two years of junior experience, is expected to step into a top-six role.

“We expect to place him right there in the top six and let him do his thing,” Cochrane said. “Hopefully, he can produce.”

Duchon will bring speed and skill to the forward group, while the Wolverines also added a pair of 20-year-old defencemen in Nate Lazarus and Tavon McCorrister.

“We’re very happy about that,” Cochrane said of the additions on the back end. “We’ll rely on those two guys early on to play some big minutes for us.”

Waywayseecappo will also be looking for its returning players to take on larger roles following the graduation of key offensive contributors such as Sebastian Hicks, Ben Roulette and Kurt Rooks.

Cochrane believes the returning group is ready for the challenge.

“I love the guys coming back,” he said. “From the spring to the summer, they’ve been talking about coming back and continuing on from last year, so their mindset’s in the right spot.”

Players such as Max Collyer, Dylan Duzan, Rhett Perrin and newly named captain Treycen Wuttunee are expected to take on bigger roles, while Mikey Thomas, Blake Farthing and Noah Oughton are also in line for increased responsibility.

The Wolverines are also keeping an eye on a pair of younger prospects who could join the team later in the season.

Six-foot-two winger Grady McNish will begin the season in Lethbridge after putting up strong numbers at the U18 AAA level, while defenceman Max Dawson will start with the Swift Current Broncos.

The Wolverines reached the second round of the playoffs last season, earning their first playoff series win, and Cochran says the group wants to build on that success.

“We got a really good nucleus that has been building something for two years here,” he said. “We’re definitely playoff-oriented every year, but just to continue on and have that playoff success.”

That process begins with training camp on August 28.

Approximately 50 players will compete for roster spots, with the group split into three teams for a series of games during the opening days of camp.

The roster will then be trimmed to 40 players for the Top 40 Joe Brandon Game before camp concludes with a rookie game against the Swan Valley Stampeders on August 31.

“It’s going to be a quick three, four-day camp here, but we’re going to get right into it,” Cochrane said. “Our guys returning are going to push the pace and come back ready, so we’re very excited.”


Hear from Landyn Cochrane below:

bennywalchuk2 · Landyn -WAYWAY (AUG 2026)

Melville Millionaires prepare for 2026 edition of Fall training camp

The Melville Millionaires are less than two weeks away from opening training camp, and head coach and GM Doug Johnson believes the organization is in a much better position heading into the 2026-27 season.

Johnson says the off-season has been several years in the making, with a number of draft picks now ready to make their push for spots in the Millionaires lineup.

“It’s been two years, three years in the process where we’re going to finally see some draft picks that we made come in,” Johnson said, pointing to players such as Brodie Bowen and Parker Salisbury.

He also expects the organization could see more of its drafted players return from the Western Hockey League, including Ryland McConnell, Riley Schmeiss and Kohen Volk.

“Just kind of nice to see after the three years, really see the fruits of our labour,” Johnson said.

The Millionaires also addressed some holes in their lineup without having to deal with the significant turnover they’ve experienced in previous off-seasons.

Melville will be without Hudson Binder, who is heading to school on a mechanical engineering scholarship, while Brayden Gourley is moving on to the B.C. Hockey League.

Johnson says both decisions are opportunities the organization supports.

“Hudson Binder going to school early on a mechanical engineering scholarship, it’s pretty tough to question that life choice,” Johnson said. “It’s a phenomenal life choice and very happy for him.”

Between the pipes, the Millionaires have added some insurance with Preston Patenaude dealing with an injury to start the season.

Melville brought in Ontario goaltender Noah Kraus, while Kaleb Page and several other young players competing for the other spot.

“We just didn’t want to put ourselves in a spot where we were scrambling to find some experience,” Johnson said. “We need to make sure that we’re covered for our number one.”

Johnson is also confident in the team’s defensive group and believes the Millionaires have plenty of offensive firepower returning.

He points to Kale Margolis and Rylan Oatman as two of the league’s top returning scorers, while players such as Jaden Kokosha, Grady Carmichael and Wesley Olsen are expected to continue building off their playoff performances.

A healthy Preston Baerwald and Leo Jewitt should also provide a boost up front.

The Millionaires also added two key pieces in Hudson Closson and Cole Brown.

Klassen brings Western Hockey League experience and size at six-foot-three, while Johnson believes there is more offensive ability to his game than his statistics might suggest.

“Watching his game, there’s a high intelligence, there’s a high hockey IQ, a lot more skill there than maybe people have noticed,” Johnson said.

Training camp opens August 28 with the first session scheduled for six p.m.

The opening night will focus primarily on drills and evaluation, while Saturday and Sunday will feature scrimmages as the coaching staff begins making roster decisions.

Johnson says the Millionaires are keeping the camp relatively small, with fewer than 30 forwards, fewer than 20 defencemen and eight goaltenders expected.

“We want to keep it small, want to keep it intimate and then just give everybody as many reps as they can,” Johnson said.

Chat with Doug Johnson below:

bennywalchuk2 · Doug - MELVILLE (Aug 2026)