EDMONTON, Alta – The NAIT Ooks men's hockey team, led by their head coach, Scott Fellnermayr, takes on Portage College this weekend in their season opener.

Last year, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fellnermayr said, "many of the new players were with the team last year but still haven't had a chance to put on the NAIT uniform, so I am very excited to see how those players are in real competition." The men's hockey team has twelve returning players, and Fellnermayr says they are the ones to watch this season, "I would pay attention to the players that were with the team in the 19-20 season that were in and out of the lineup that year. These players have put in a lot of hard work since we last played and will be a big part of the team going forward."

The team has been practicing hard to get into competition shape, says Fellnermayr, "we have been practicing hard for the month of September, and we're ready to compete now. This team has a fair bit of talent, but I think our strength comes from our depth and our compete level. Every line is capable of contributing offensively, and we will play solid team defense." Due to the pandemic, this season has been deemed a transition back to play with a reduced schedule.

Nothing will slow down the team this year Fellnermayr says, "I think we will be a team that can play any type of game. We have lots of skill, toughness, and great goaltending, so I believe we will be an exciting team to watch."

The NAIT Ooks men's team will play their home opener on Friday, November 19th, at 7:00 PM against the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings.