Benny Walchuk:
Time now for the Yorkton Terriers Coaches Show on GX94. We’re joined by Head Coach and General Manager, Emery Olauson. Coach, a bit of a rare 10-day break between games this early in the season—how did you use that time, and what did you want to accomplish with the group?
Emery Olauson:
Yeah, you know, the main goals were really two things: first, to get healthy, and second, to build some team chemistry. We had a lot of practice time, but we also focused on connecting off the ice—getting the guys to know each other better, building those bonds. We also had our Glow Golf fundraiser Friday night, which was great for team building. Now we’ll see if that work translates into results tomorrow night. The positive is we’ve got a few players back from injury, which gives us more depth and competition for spots.
Benny Walchuk:
You opened the season 0-1-1 against Weyburn. How did you evaluate your team’s play in those first two games?
Emery Olauson:
There were things I liked, but also some areas to fix. In the first game in Weyburn, we generated about 40 shots, but gave up too much defensively and took a late penalty that really cost us when they tied it six-on-four. With a young group and two veteran defencemen unavailable, we had four rookies on the back end, so mistakes were bound to happen. Our energy was good, and we created chances, but I thought we tried to do too much individually. In front of a big home crowd, everyone wanted to be the hero instead of being part of the system. That’s something we’ve really worked on over the last nine days—playing connected, playing within the system, and trusting each other.
Benny Walchuk:
Next up, the Estevan Bruins on Tuesday. What stands out to you about their group and the challenge they bring?
Emery Olauson:
They’ve got a very dangerous top six, similar to us in that they’ve had some turnover and a new coach. From video, you can see they’re starting to build structure, but like any team early on, there are still some mistakes. They’ve got talent at every position, so we’ll need to be sharp. If we don’t play connected and structured, that top six can really hurt you.
Benny Walchuk:
Looking at your roster and identity, what are you trying to establish here early in the season, and where do things stand right now?
Emery Olauson:
We started with a lot of injuries, which meant more opportunities for first-year players. Now we’ve got too many bodies, and with NHL camps letting players go, there could be more movement coming. As for identity, we want to play fast, on our toes, and use our depth. Like last year, it’s a next-man-up mentality. But we also need to be harder-working and take more pride in our defensive zone. We probably won’t score 270 goals again, so we’ll have to focus on keeping teams to that 160–180 range. That defensive commitment is what’s going to define us.
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