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.
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