The air of optimism was flowing freely last weekend at the Colosseum as the Weyburn Red Wings brought a long summer to an end with the opening of training camp.

With 14 Red Wings returning from last year's South division championship squad, head coach Dwight McMillan and general manager Ron Rumball are feeling very optimistic about the year to come.

Camp opened Friday morning as 100 Red Wing hopefuls registered and began on-ice sessions. After three days of camp, the field was cut in half for the annual Red and White game on Monday afternoon.

With McMillan and Rumball perched in the top of the stands, the 44 remaining players battled it out in front of a half-filled Colosseum to make their case for a roster position this season.

With jobs on the line, decisions were made tougher as the players carried a good flow throughout the three periods, mixing in some nice offensive skills, solid defence and good goaltending with the occasion scrap.

The Red team continued on from recent years as they netted a third period goal to edge their intra-squad opponents, 4-3.

After the game Rumball expressed his optimism as his team prepares for another run at a Hanbidge Cup championship.

"We have I think, not only a premier level of skill in training camp but the overall depth of the training camp and consistency has been very, very solid," said Rumball. "This has been a very competitive, evenly-matched training camp and I think (Monday's) Red and White game was as illustrative as you can get, when you look at a 4-3 hockey game with the difference of four or five shots between the teams. We have 20, what you would call experienced junior hockey players out there."

Although they expect to form a roster of 22 for the season, Rumball added the season is only beginning and winning this season will come at almost any cost.

"You have to be ready to play if you want to be part of a winning hockey club, and this will be a winning hockey club," said Rumball. "We are a hockey club that has historically moved hockey players right until the final deadline in February, and because you are a veteran hockey player doesn't mean you'll be here when all is said and done."

In the game, returning Red Wing forward Emery Olauson netted two of the white team's three goals. Other stand-outs were Reagan Rome and Preston Briggs on defence for the red team. Rome was picked up in a trade late in August from the Humboldt Broncos while Briggs, a Colorado native, is looking to sign an import card.

For McMillan final decisions will be tough, but those are the decisions every coach wants.

"I think there is lots for us to build around," said McMillan of his 14 veterans returning. "Our biggest problem is going to be to try and decide who to keep with them."

"(Rome) is going to be a good player for us and Briggs from Colorado at 6-foot-4 can really skate and handle the puck," added McMillan.

The hardest decisions will come up front. Gone is last year's leading scorer Peter Hay. Christian Cote and Mike Costley, who combined for 116 points last season, should carry much of the offence but the Red Wings will definitely need to find a couple of forwards to fill the vacated positions.

"Up forward is a little bit open yet," said McMillan. "(Brett) Cross we have had on our list, we've got to find a spot for him, he is gifted with the puck and does some great things, so we have some decisions to make and they will be tough and that's good."

McMillan also has the import rule to worry about. With more in camp than the allowed eight during the season, it actually eases the decisions when rounding out the line-up.

"We've seen some real gritty guys out there and of course some pretty good offensive plays out there," said McMillan. "It's going to be tough to pick the right guys and of course imports play a big part in it; once we get into our fourth and fifth exhibition game, we'll have a better idea."

In goal the battle is for the back-up job as Terry Denike returns with the number one job in hand. Last season Denike went 25-7-5 in 38 games, posting a 2.99 goals against average and a .903 save percentage with three shut-outs.

Six goalies were in camp the final day battling for the back-up job.

Though there was more work for the ones who played the latter part of the game, McMillan says the job is still very much up for grabs.

A rookie home-and-home series, with Estevan last night in Estevan and tonight in Weyburn, will open the exhibition season, with game time at 7:30 p.m. McMillan will cut down from 30 to 25, the number they will carry for the first month, before trimming to the required 22.