The Granites will entertain the Charlottetown Crunch at Community Gardens in a 7:30 start.
The Granites, who enter the 2012-13 season with a revamped lineup, are excited to play their first game in the three-team league, which also includes the Montague Marines.
“The league is down to just three teams, but the quality of hockey will be high-end calibre,” said a media release issued by the Granites. “All teams possess some great players, and this will be real exciting hockey to watch this season.”
With the O’Leary Maroons taking a year’s leave of absence, the Granites are hoping to fill the senior hockey void in Prince County, notes the media release.
Roster changes
Newcomers to the Granites are Nich Tremere (Royal Military College, CIS/Woodstock Slammers, MHL), Mark Totten (Miramichi Timberwolves, MHL), Colin Webster (Kensington Vipers, IJHL), Nathan DesRoches (Summerside Western Capitals, MHL), Marshall Ellis (Western Capitals), Jason Smallman (Pictou County Weeks Crushers, MHL), Devan Praught (Western Capitals/St. Thomas Tommies, UPEI Panthers, AUS), Alex Noonan (Vipers) and Nick Creelman (Vipers).
The Granites’ most-recent signing on Tuesday is Summerside native Brad Gallant, who played briefly in the Central Hockey League at the start of this season.
After starting his junior career with the Western Capitals, Gallant went on to play four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before moving on to play four years with the Tommies.
The Granites expect Gallant to bring a physical presence, along with an ability to score goals, to the Granites.
While the Granites have welcomed a number of new faces this season, the team also lost seven regulars from last year. They are veteran defencemen Ben Ramsay, Andy Ramsay and Matt Ramsay, along with forwards Danny Hollett, Kent Arsenault, Garrett Lewis, Ian Postma and Todd MacDougall.
Ticket prices remain the same as last season.
