Excitement is growing as the Moncton Wildcats prepare for a new season on the ice.
The Wildcats play their first four games on the road before their home opener in early October.
Gardiner MacDougall, the team’s head coach, said it has been an exciting few months of preparation.
“Overall, it’s been a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm,” MacDougall said in an interview last week.
“We got a lot of new players, and so you’ve got to work fast in trying to put a group together.”
The most recent season was one of the most successful in recent memory for the Wildcats.
READ MORE: Moncton Wildcats celebrate successful QMJHL season
They won their first QMJHL title since the 2009-10 season and had the chance to compete for the Memorial Cup.
Moncton had a lot of older players last season, but many will not be able to return this year, leaving the team with a lot of new faces.
“I think we’ll have to be patient. In our division, the Atlantic division, a lot of the teams were a little bit younger last year, so they’re going to be one year older and one year more in their process,” said MacDougall.
“It’s going to be a really good challenge for a group, but I think it’s a challenge that our group and our coaching staff and management will embrace.”
The Wildcats will play their first regular-season game on Thursday night against the Newfoundland Regiment in St. John’s.
Their first home game is on Oct. 4 as they take on their New Brunswick rivals, the Saint John Sea Dogs.
