SPRINGHILL – The Cumberland County Blues have played with a short bench for much of the 2011-2012 season but help is on the way.
Several prospects are in the wings waiting to hit the ice with the Blues but Blues general manager, Ron Reynolds, couldn’t specify what deals are in the works because the new prospects he’s looking at haven’t been cleared by waivers yet.
“The Blues expect to have roster additions and changes in the next week or so that will definitely help,” Reynolds said.
That is music to the ears of Blues coach Vaughn Martin, as the Blues host the Brookfield Elks during Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League action tonight at the Richard Calder Arena in Springhill.
“If I had a Christmas list I’d like to have enough people to fill our roster, I’d like us to get healthy because we’ve had a few injuries and, after that, I want to check our mistakes a little closer,” Martin said.
The Blues have lots of power up front but are a little lean in the back end.
“We’ve got a potent offence, we’re going to score,” Martin said. “I say to my guys, ‘hockey is simple physics. For every action, there’s an equal or greater reaction.’
“What happens to us is we go down and have an opportunity to score and we go too much on the offence and then we get an odd man rush at the back end and we have to defend and we’re tired out from the offence, especially with a short bench,” Martin said.
Martin said he might be tough on the team when preaching defence but said the team needs to get the message.
“There’s been a lot of changes this year, including myself,” Martin said. “I don’t think I’m too hard on them but they have to be held accountable because I hope the team is successful.”
Martin is looking forward to the new additions.
“Hopefully the fans will keep coming because deals are in the works that are going to solidify our roster,” Martin said. “So it looks like Santa is going to make some of my hopes come true.”
Tonight’s game starts at 7:30 p.m.
dmathieson@amherstdaily.com
