CALGARY - The University of Calgary Dinos have watched the other side celebrate championships for the past two years, in the 2012-13 season they will hope to turn the table and claim their first Canada West title since 1996.

“Expectations haven't changed,” says head coach Mark Howell. “We want to win Canada West, and we want to play for a national championship.”

Game 3 of the Canada West final last March will be a game remembered by both Calgary and Saskatchewan players for the rest of their lives. Decided in triple overtime, Brett Ward scored the goal which crowned the Huskies champs and sent them to nationals, ending the Dinos' season after the longest game in conference history.

Last season saw Reid Jorgensen, Teegan Moore and Joel Eisenkirch play their final year of eligibility in the CIS. Team captain Jorgensen will be the hardest to replace not only because of the offence that will be missing, but leadership. Moore, who was also an assistant captain last year, proved to be a reliable player in both ends of the ice during his career with the Dinos. His efforts earned him a contract with the ECHL's Colorado Eagles.

Along with the three seniors, Calgary also lost Dylan Hood and Teigan Zahn who have decided to take a chance at the minor-pro level.

Calgary has six new players on the roster this fall, but only three of them will be true first-year players. Jesse Ismond joins the squad after enjoying a successful four year career with the WHL's Kootenay Ice where he was teammates with fellow Dino Kevin King. After taking a year off, defencemen Alex Dzielski and Giffen Nyren decided to leave the pro level for a chance at an education while continuing their hockey careers. Dzielski won the ECHL's Kelly Cup in 2011 with the Alaska Aces, while Nyren split his time between the Abbotsford Heat and Utah Grizzlies. The team also added fifth-year Corey Banfield, who has played previously at St. Thomas University, along with Rylan Wiest and Brooks Myers both out of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“I'm confident in the group we have here,” Howell says of this year's squad. “Spencer Edwards will be coming back from injury, you bring Ismond in, King is going to be a dominant player this year…I don't think we're missing too many pieces here.

“I think Dzielski has a chance to replace Zahn, he is a big strong guy. Nyren comes in as an unbelievably talented guy; having not played in a year has hurt him, but I think these guys have a chance to make our defence very unique.”

The biggest focus will for Calgary coming heading into Thursday's season opener will be getting off to a strong start. The past two seasons has seen the Dinos struggle in the first half of the campaign, forcing them to rally to hold off opponents for a chance to host a playoff series. The key to this may be the team's offence, which was fifth in the conference in goals scored.

“The one thing that has to change is our first half has to be much better than the last two years,” Howell explains. “We've always dug a hole and had to climb out of it with really good second halves.”

The campaign starts on Thursday, Sept. 27 as the Dinos travel south to take on the Pronghorns. The next night the Pronghorns will be the visitors for Calgary's opener at Father David Bauer Arena, with puck drop at 7 p.m.

-UC-