Following a busy offseason, the Humboldt Broncos are ready to hit the ice for the first time, ahead of the 2017-2018 season.

Training camp opens on Thursday afternoon, with three days of on-ice activity beginning.

Head Coach and General Manager Darcy Haugan says that a lot of work has gone in since the Broncos were last on the ice in the spring.

"It was a very hectic summer with obviously lots of change. We feel we have good people coming in and we saw some good people go."

Assistant Coach Mark Cross (left) played five seasons for the York.Among the changes for the Broncos was a change in assistant coaches, after Brayden Klimosko was hired in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Mark Cross was hired to take over for Klimosko. The team added a second assistant coach, bringing on board Chris Beaudry, who was previously hired to be the team's Business Manager.

A series of trades saw Josh Roberts, Laramie Kostelansky and Dawson Atamanchuk moved out, while the team acquired Kaleb Dahlgren and Derek Patter.

Haugan says that they feel they are moving in the right direction with the team.

"We're getting close to having really good organizational depth. Our scouts have done a good job," said Haugan, praising Luke Strueby and Jason Neville, among others. "We think we will be very competitive. Our goal is to win the division, so that's the bar, and we know a lot of work has to be done in order to obtain that."

Assistant Coach and Business Manager Chris BeaudryPlayers invited to main camp are split into four teams, with practices starting Thursday. 

The top 40 players from the camp will be divided into two teams for the Elgar Petersen Cup, which takes place Saturday at 6:30pm.

Haugan says those players who make it to the final game will have displayed their strengths throughout camp.

"They have to realize what they do well and showcase that. So if you're a goal scorer, you better score some goals. If you feel like you're a checker, or agitator, or defender, you have to be good at that and show us that you belong here."

Haugan continued, saying that they are not only looking for top players, they are looking for guys who are willing to do everything to ensure the Broncos are the best they can be.

"Everybody has to earn what they get here, and that's a big thing for us. If we're going to take the next step, we don't need our players to be good, we need them to be great, and that comes from working their tail off everyday."

Along with the players competing for spots on the main roster, two teams of prospects will hit the ice throughout the weekend.

Haugan says they are looking forward to seeing what the next potential crop of Broncos can do on the ice.

A 'Young Guns' game will take place prior to the Top 40 game at 4:00pm on Saturday.

Off the ice, the club is still hoping to sell more season tickets.

At Monday's annual general meeting, it was reported that they are looking to sell around 150 more season spots to match last year's numbers.

Haugan noted that they have seen that number drop a little bit since the AGM, with some purchasing tickets.

An improved gameday experience is also in the works, according to the Broncos coach.

PR and Gameday Coordinator Jocelyn Doetzel.

"Our corporate support looks like it is improved from last year, which is nice to see. We need to make sure we have people in the seats and we have different initiatives," he explained. "We have (Public Relations and Game Day Coordinator) Jocelyn (Doetzel) on board as far as adding new things, so when people come to the rink it's a fun time for everyone involved."

After camp wraps up, the Broncos will play four preseason games, including two at home on September 6 against Battleford and September 8 against Melfort.

The regular season begins on September 16, when Humboldt welcomes Notre Dame.