It's only September and already Port Moody Black Panthers general manager Ron Luniw is thinking Christmas.
First on his early holiday wish list is the return of Cam Lawson, who was scooped up early last campaign by the B.C. Hockey League's Coquitlam Express and is currently trying to latch on with Jr. 'A' loop's Victoria Grizzlies.
If Lawson, 19, fails to stick in the provincial capital, Luniw is hopeful the gifted forward will return to the Jr. 'B' Black Panthers, where he was a standout before joining the Express only to be used sparingly, finishing the BCHL season with no goals and five assists in just 23 appearances.
"If Santa Claus comes, we'll get Cam Lawson back," Luniw told The Tri-City News last week.
Right now, the Cats are also missing high-scoring Brandon Milln, a native of Port Moody, and defenceman Ryan Panichelli, who are both trying to crack Junior 'A' rosters in Saskatchewan and Nanaimo respectively.
So far, the Cats have played four pre-season games and have two remaining before opening the regular season next Tursday versus the Icehawks in Delta. The Cats' home debut goes Sept. 24 versus the Aldergrove Kodiaks.
With the fleet Trevor Kang set to return along with steady goalie Nick Taylor, Luniw sees now reason why his squad can't at least keep pace with last season's edition that managed a 22-18-0-6 record and took second in the Harold Brittain Conference.
"We had a lot of speed last year and we'll have a lot of speed against this year," vowed Luniw, who hired ex-Mission Icebreakers head coach Craig Sherbaty after Ron Johnson stepped down from behind the bench after last season.
Experience will be a key to the Cats' success, added Luniw, who's looking to load up on primarily 18- and 19-year-olds this season.
"You can't be really dominant in this league with a younger team," he said.
One newcomer looking good already is six-foot-three, 17-year-old forward Tyler Roberge, Luniw said.
