The latest edition of the Whitehorse Huskies has been unveiled.

The senior hockey team announced the team roster yesterday ahead of the 2015/2016 season.

“It was really easy and somewhat difficult,” head coach Michael Tuton said of his roster decisions. “For some of the guys, this was the end of the line. But everybody was pretty understanding of what we’ve got out there.

“There wasn’t too many shockers.”

This year, talented forwards Kevin Petovello, Ted Stephens and Joe Densmore join a solid returning core led by Evan Campbell, Kane Dawe, Adam Henderson and Derek Klassen.

Petovello, 29, is a former professional hockey player, spending two seasons with the now-dormant Arizona Sundogs of the Central Hockey League before a knee injury derailed his career.

A former captain of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, Petovello is currently living in Whitehorse and is a welcome addition.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any issue scoring goals,” said Tuton.

The blue-line will be anchored by captain Jared Tuton and the hulking Simon Nugent, but remains somewhat of a question mark, coach Tuton admitted.

At least three of the blue-liners – Burt Stephens, Gibson Pearson and Colin Dendys – are converted forwards.

“It’s no secret we’re lacking defencemen,” said Tuton. “I was hoping for another big-name D-man – one more top-three guy – but those are guys we feel can step back and fill in for D.

“We’re happy with what we’ve got.”

Incumbent JJ Gainsforth has been named the starting goalie. He will be backed up by Brad Gustafson and Dawson City’s Daniel Naef.

“The goalie situation was a lot tougher than I anticipated,” said Tuton. “They were all pretty good.”

Jay Massie rounds out the coaching ranks and will join Tuton and Barry Blisner behind the bench this season.

“He’s a real good hockey mind and a good defenceman,” said Tuton. “He’s going to work with our defensive side of things.”

Meanwhile, Petovello is excited to be reunited with former Nanook teammates Adam Henderson and Derek Klassen.

“I’ve always had a tight bond with those guys,” the Sparwood, B.C., native told the Star yesterday.

The six-foot, 190-pound left-winger served as the best man in Henderson’s wedding this summer, then helped Klassen – head coach of the Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association – with his summer hockey school.

He hasn’t left.

“The longer you stay, the harder it is to leave,” he chuckled.

Petovello is currently completing his master’s business degree at the University of Alaska via correspondence and is hoping to nail down a job soon.

He said he feels lucky to join the Huskies on the ice this year.

“There’s a great pool of hockey players here,” said Petovello. “For them to have these guys in town playing competitively, that was definitely enticing to me.

“There’s a chance for them to do real well. There’s a strong crop of guys here. ...

This is still serious. Everyone wants to win and you’re playing for something, but it’s different now.

“It’s not to advance your career. It’s solely to promote hockey in the Whitehorse community and give the younger guys something to look forward to.

“It’s going to be fun to bond with these guys and try and do something special for this town.”

He was an assistant coach with the Nanooks last year in Fairbanks.

The Huskies concluded their training camp with an intrasquad game won 9-7 by Team White Saturday afternoon at the Canada Games Centre.

The team was split in two for the non-refereed contest, with each squad consisting of two forward lines and three defencemen.

Down 5-2, Team White came back to win the game on the strength of hat tricks from inseparable linemates Campbell and Dawe.

Henderson added a pair of goals, while Petovello sniped one top corner.

Densmore had the goal of the game, finishing off a great individual effort to put Green up 3-1 early on.

Also scoring for Team Green were Daniel Cletheroe (3), Ryan Gleason (2) and Clayton Thomas.

Team Green blue-liner Burt Stephens laid out Dawe with a nice open-ice check mid-game.

A small group of fans joined the coaching staff in the bleachers to take in the contest.

The Huskies will dress three forward lines and three defence pairings for games.

The team needs to play a minimum of six sanctioned games this year in order to be recognized by BC Hockey and compete in the Coy Cup playdowns.

Last year, the Yukon club was swept out of the playoffs by the eventual senior AA British Columbia champion Fort St. John Flyers.

A schedule has not yet been determined, but Tuton said he hopes to have details on the first weekend series with the Fort Nelson Yeti finalized soon.

Players not returning from last year’s squad include winger Rob Wells, defencemen Tim MacIntosh and Drew Pettitt, and goalies Brian Power and Rob Young.

2015/2016 Whitehorse Huskies roster

FORWARDS

Derek Klassen (A)
Rob Warner
Adam Henderson
Kane Dawe
Rob Stuckey
Evan Campbell (A)
Ted Stephens
Joe Densmore
Clayton Thomas (A)
Ryan Gleason
Kevin Petovello
Daniel Cletheroe
Chris Gleason
Mike Arnold

DEFENCE

Jared Tuton (C)
Simon Nugent
Burt Stephens
Chuck Hombert
Gibson Pearson
Colin Dendys
Jon Rudolph

GOALIES

JJ Gainsforth
Brad Gustafson
Daniel Naef

COACHES

Michael Tuton
Barry Blisner
Jay Massie