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Aberdeen gets its first test of the preseason with a home-and-home series this weekend against Watertown.
The Friday, Sept. 4 game is at Prairie Lakes Arena in Watertown before the Wings return for a Saturday, Sept. 5 clash at the Odde Ice Center.
“Looking forward to it, absolutely,” said Aberdeen head coach Scott Langer. “Exhibition games are about guys playing their way up or playing their way down. It gives them a chance to feel what it’s like going through a normal workweek, then playing two games on the weekend. They know what’s at stake against (Watertown).”
The intrastate competition aside, Langer said the games against the Shamrocks are pivotal in how the lineup is set moving forward.
“We’ve been moving guys around quite a bit to see if there’s any early chemistry, but we haven’t had that much of a window to really make those decisions yet. Obviously, we want to win the games, but right now our job is to make whoever’s out there better,” he said.
Aberdeen goalie Willum Braun gets sprayed with ice, but covers the puck for a save during practice at the Odde Ice Center on Saturday, Aug, 29. The Wings have two exhibition games this weekend — Friday, Sept. 4 at Watertown and Saturday, Sept. 5 against the Shamrocks at the Odde Ice Center. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Returning goaltender Willum Braun said the exhibitions against the Shamrocks have two benefits, especially for new players.
They get to play in front of a packed house, and they get a feel for what the Central Division schedule is like since North Iowa and Minnesota are no longer members.
The Bulls moved to Houston, while the Mallards are now in the Midwest Division.
“I think it will be a great start for a lot of the newer guys because they’re gonna see a packed barn early,” Braun said. “I mean, you have to give Watertown credit, they sell out every game. It’s also crucial to see it this early because we lost North Iowa and Minnesota from the division and we play everybody a lot more now, and we’re gonna be there (Watertown) a lot, so that’s crucial for them to get what it takes to win in this division.”
Wings top pick Hof impressed with early vibe in Aberdeen
Aberdeen selected Melker Hof of Sweden with its first pick in the North American Hockey League Draft. The 6-foot-2 center said his first experiences with Langer and Aberdeen have been “more than I could have expected.
Aberdeen Wings center Melker Hof heads up ice during practice on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Odde Ice Center. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
“I love that pressure you get from (Langer) and love being part of this team,” he said. “I really like his style of coaching, and I love the rink. I heard good things about it, and it’s nice to be able to come here and work on my game.”
Hof said there are more important things than any pressure resulting from being a first-round pick.
MORE: Aberdeen Wings take first step in building roster for 2026-27 NAHL season
“I just go about my business really, just try to work on my game and try to keep getting better. My goal is to just do the best I can for the team and can’t wait to get going,” he said.
Last year’s top pick Jonathan Doucette said the talent level is evident in camp.
“A lot of the new guys that came in have picked up the message about our compete level, and you can see it on the ice,” Doucette said. “Melker is crazy talented, (Filip) Henriksson is really good, and with the guys we have coming back, we’re gonna be tough to beat.”
Henriksson is a 5-foot-10 forward who is also from Sweden. The Wings acquired him with a tender offer.
Doucette is currently sidelined with a groin injury that will keep him out for the first few weeks of the season. It won’t keep him from trying to bring the new players up to speed.
“We had a really good leadership group last year, and I’m going to use that experience I gained to help the guys this year,” he said. “I want to get everyone on the same page right off the bat. The culture Coach Langer and Mr. (Greg) Odde built here needs to be understood when you walk through those doors.”
Odde owns the team.
Team building a strength early for the Wings
Langer said what jumped out most from players at the start of camp was their willingness to get to work the first time they took the ice.
“These guys, I’m telling ya, they just work and they want to get better. It’s been a really fun first few days. This is just a very competitive group and a big part of that was our staff who created a very competitive environment for training camp,” he said.
Langer praised his staff for putting together the roster through the draft and tenders.
“I thought the staff did a great job leading up to main camp in Fargo (N.D.) as far as Zoom meetings and communication to what we expect from our players,” he said. “It was a serious message because if you wanna have fun, you have to have success. Losing sucks, and the guys we brought in understand that.”
Langer said his main focus before the start of any season is assessing the work ethic of players. So far, he said he’s seen no issues.
“I can teach you how to play hockey. If you don’t want to work, you’re not going to be successful. These guys right now, they wanna win and wanna get better,” he said.
Braun echoed Langer’s comments and issued a warning about work ethic to the newest Wings.
“It’s early, but until you play for Smack (Langer) in February, you don’t really know what it’s like to play for Smack,” Braun said. “It’s a kind of desperation to win that you only know by living it. Thankfully, we’ve got a good group of guys back who know what it’s like, and we need to instill that into them.”
He said it doesn’t matter if it’s 10 below and snowing, when Langer says be at the rink by 8 a.m., he means it.
“It builds character and makes you better at the end of the day,” Braun said.
Aberdeen has exhibitions on Friday, Sept. 11 when it hosts the University of Jamestown and Saturday, Sept. 12 at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. Both teams play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
General admission tickets for both home exhibition games are $16.
The Wings open the regular season Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19 with home games against Minot.
