EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips are back in preseason action this weekend following a 2-1 showing at last weekend’s Delta Hotels Preseason Holiday Classic.
The Tips travel to Langley, British Columbia Saturday and Sunday for games against the Prince George Cougars and the Vancouver Giants. Saturday’s game with Prince George starts at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s game against host Vancouver gets underway at 4 p.m. Both games are at Langley Events Centre.
“This weekend is going to give more opportunities for different guys to play different roles,” head coach Dennis Williams said. “We’re going to give those chances for other guys that maybe wouldn’t be in them all the time right now.”
The primary reason for increased opportunities is the absence of three players to NHL training camps. Defenseman Kevin Davis (Minnesota) and forward Patrick Bajkov (Las Vegas) left Wednesday, and goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia) left Friday.
Davis and Bajkov are both free agent invitees and expected back prior to the beginning of the regular season on Sept. 23. However, Hart, a second-round pick by the Flyers in the 2016 NHL draft, could be away longer.
Hart missed Everett’s first two regular-season games last season and is expected to be absent for much of December and part of January as the goalie for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.
Dorrin Luding, a 1999-born native of Richmond, B.C. and 2001-born Danton Belluk of Lorette, Manitoba are the other goaltenders still in camp. Fellow 2001-born Dustin Wolf is recovering from offseason hip surgery and isn’t expected back until late October at the earliest.
Fowards Connor Dewar and Matt Fonteyne led the team with six points each in three games last weekend.
Bajkov had five points in three games while Sean Richards had four assists in two games. Davis added a goal and two assists in two games.
The team has been holding two-a-day practices much of the last two weeks as they grow accustomed to a new head coach in Williams.
“I like the group,” Williams said. “The attention to detail has been good and we’re working on, like we’ve mentioned, a lot of different systems, not just with four or five or six guys coming in, but with 25 guys. But I think they’ve adapted. They ask great questions, they come ready to learn every day and it’s been exciting.”
The Tips conclude their preseason schedule with a home-and-home series next Friday and Saturday against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
For the latest Silvertips news follow @Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
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