HUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Thunder Bay Kings AAA program is now accepting registrations for its player and goaltender Identification Camps later this month as part of the tryout process leading into the 2019-20 season.
These tryouts are for all four of the Kings teams that will compete in 2019-20, which include the peewee, bantam, minor midget and major midget squads.
From there, eligible players will be invited back to each of the team’s final tryouts in August.
Cost for the initial camps, which run May 21-26, is $100, which will include a minimum of three on-ice sessions.
Interested players can register through the Kings website at thunderbaykings.com.
The actual team tryout times for the May Identification Camps will be announced in the coming days while registered players will also be notified of the dates and times for their respective age-groups.
NAHL BOUND: Anthony Biniaris, a defenceman on this season’s major midget Kings squad that won the North American Prospects Hockey League and title and hosted the recently completed TELUS Cup, has signed a tender for the upcoming 2019-20 campaign with the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League.
The 17-year-old blueliner, who hails from Thunder Bay, helped anchor the under-18 Kings defensive corps as they went on to capture their first-ever NAPHL crown.
A NAHL tender is a contract, of sorts, that a player signs announcing his intentions to play for that particular NAHL team and that NAHL team only.
Once a player signs a tender with an NAHL team, his playing rights belong to that team within the NAHL and he may not be recruited by any other NAHL team.
They are not however restricted to play in the NAHL, as they are free to sign with any other junior team or league, if they so desire.
The Magicians play out of Richfield, Minn.
U-18 PROSPECTS: A number of players from the Thunder Bay major midget Kings squad will compete in the NAHL U-18 Prospects Tournament, May 10-12, in Blaine, Minn.
Among those selected to take part are forwards Travis Hensrud, Peter Hannula and Christian Veneruzzo along with defenceman Gareth Aegard and goaltender Jordan Smith.
All five will suit up to Team NAPHL East that will be among 10 squads taking part in the three-day event.
DRAFTED: Also of note with Veneruzzo, he was taken in the seventh round, 238th overall, by the Bozeman Ice Dogs of the North American Tier III Junior Hockey League.
The Montana-based club finished 15th overall in the 36-team NA3HL in 2018-19 with a record of 28-15-4.
That also placed Bozeman third in the Frontier Division.
