UPEI Panthers open AUS men's hockey season Wednesday in Moncton

Now the games count.

The UPEI Panthers start the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) men’s hockey season on the road Wednesday in Moncton. Game time is 7 p.m.

“It’ll be nice to finally see a different jersey,” second-year defenceman Ryan MacKinnon said.

“We’ve been beating each other up, going hard in practice, trying to get better,” the Summerside native added before Tuesday’s practice. “To finally get into a game and get things going tomorrow, it’s definitely exciting.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM TUESDAY's PRACTICE.

The Panthers go into the season with one of its most exciting recruiting classes in recent memory.

It includes defencemen Austin Levi and Bobby Zinkan as well as a deep group of forwards that consists of Cody Payne, Gabe Guertler, Kurt Etchegary, Beau McCue and Riley Whittingham. Zinkan and Whittingham played for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals last season.

“These guys are all very productive and impact major junior players that were all leaders on their respective major junior teams,” head coach Forbes MacPherson said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TEAM's ROSTER.

UPEI also picked up J.C. Campagna, who had 21 goals combined the past two seasons with the St. Thomas Tommies. The Fredericton, N.B., university folded its program in the spring, leaving seven teams to play a 30-game regular season.

The additions meant the team had to cut Stephen MacInnis, Chris Rauckman and Nick Parker during training camp.

Brent Andrews, a third-year Panthers centre from Hunter River, is the team’s new captain. The assistants include MacKinnon, Nelson Armstrong and Casey Babineau, who wore an A last season.

The Panthers enter tonight’s contest after losing 10-2 to Boston University and 7-0 to the University of Massachusetts Lowell during weekend action south of the border.

“It’s obviously hard on your ego,” MacPherson said. “Nobody, even if you’re playing a game of crib, wants to get beat that bad.”

But he said there were a lot of positives to take out of the weekend. Particularly with a lot of new faces, the trip gave the team an opportunity to gel and find out about their new teammates.

“Ultimately, you’re playing a game of hockey, but your team is better when they’re playing for each other,” the head coach said. “Those are the ties that you bind on those trips.”

The UNB Varsity Reds are the defending the Canadian Interuniversity Sport champions. They will host the nationals in 2017.

They provide the opposition for the Panthers home opener Saturday at 7 p.m. at MacLauchlan Arena.

Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall, a Bedeque native, said AUS teams have done an “outstanding” job recruiting.

“There are a lot of high-profile players that have come into our league,” he said. “It’s going to make the calibre a lot better. It’s going to be tough on coaches, (but) it’s going to be outstanding for the hockey fan.”