While the regular season doesn't start for another month, the CFR Chemical Bisons are already skating with a purpose.

The Midget AAA Hockey team will hold their annual Rookie Camps, starting on September 3rd, with dozens of young stars hoping to crack the final roster.

General Manager Wayne Hansen is looking for these youngsters to break the ice.

"There's probably going to be 40 or 45 of those kids in rookie camp that are going to move through to main camp and they're going to get a chance to show exactly what they have to offer and hopefully give us everything they have to make this team."

After bowing out of last year's league final to the Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats, Hansen says the expectations for the rookie class, and the whole team, are great.

"We expect to win... with the crew of guys we're expecting back, hopefully they come in and show us that they continue to play at this level, as well as the group of kids that's coming up."

Before the Bisons prepared to look at their future, the team took some time to remember part of their past, with the annual Markus Lavallee Memorial Tournament, which wrapped up on August 14th.

"The purpose of the event not only is to raise money for the scholarship fund," said Hansen. "It's for guys to come out and just have fun playing the game, go back to what it's all about."

This weekend's Rookie Camps run on September 3rd and 4th, and those that make the final roster won't find out until September 24th.