Last year, the 91原创 Trappers , the first Pacific Junior Hockey League team to win the trophy since 2018.

This year, with a younger, less experienced team, Trappers Head Coach Mark Bakken isn鈥檛 expecting a repeat.

While the goal is always to push for first, Bakken would be happy to 鈥渕aybe come in just a little under the wire.鈥�

鈥淯nderstanding the youth we have, I鈥檇 be okay with with a second or third regular season finish in our division.鈥�

It is a rebuilding year for the 91原创 Trappers after losing seven hard-to-replace 20-year-olds from last year, players Bakken credits with winning the Cup.

鈥淭hose were guys that, at 19, won the championships with us,鈥� Bakken told the 91原创 Advance Times.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 91原创 Trappers win Cyclone Taylor Cup

鈥淪o we try and keep them on the team and keep those guys happy and give them the opportunity for another run at that championship, but then, obviously, they age out at 20, and they move off. That opens up a lot of spots. So we鈥檙e just young this year. We鈥檝e got a lot of 17-year-olds. We鈥檝e got one 16-year-old, Mateo Appezzato.鈥�

An assessment by the scouting page rates the Trappers as the youngest of 14 teams in the league, with an average player age of 17.64.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be an interesting year in learning and growing and developing some players,鈥� Bakken predicted.

鈥淭he guys that we have, have some some meanness to them, they鈥檝e got some size. They definitely have some ability, but it鈥檚 just trying to get the the kinks [out] of young men trying to learn how to play the game at the next level 鈥� or the next speed.鈥�

Several other PJHL teams, Mission, Abbotsford, Aldergrove, and Surrey are in the same boat as 91原创, bringing in young players, aiming to develop what Bakken described as a 鈥渃ore group of guys.鈥�

By mid-October, the 91原创 team was seven weeks into the new season, and looked promising.

鈥淭hey show up every day. They work hard,鈥� Bakken said.

鈥淭hey know what the systems are, now it鈥檚 about executing the systems. And they鈥檙e starting to do that, which is exciting. You鈥檙e starting to see them apply the practice in the game situations. And if they can do that and they can buy into it as a whole group, then they should be fine.鈥�

READ ALSO: BC Hockey approves Junior A status for three Junior B hockey leagues

This year, B.C.Hockey moved the PJHL and two other Junior B leagues in B.C., the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) to Junior A, tier 2, following the BCHL decision to go independent.

Among the changes, Bakken says the move will improve player retention by making it harder for other Junior A teams in the country to recruit players from the PJHL the way they used to.

鈥淣ow, we get something back 鈥� before we never did,鈥� Bakken reflected.

鈥淏esides a little bit of a player development fee, it was like, 鈥榟ere you go, thank you very much.鈥� But now, if they want a kid, I can request a player back. It鈥檚 going be nice not losing about four guys a year to what Junior A is, now that we鈥檙e part of it. I think that鈥檚 going to be a huge help.鈥�

Bakken warns rink size could be an potential problem in the new Junior A leagues, with arenas like George Preston substantially smaller than most of the rinks in the rival BCHL, which can make more money off the bigger crowds.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely one of the things that we鈥檙e not really talking about right now, but it鈥檚 obviously an elephant in the room, as we move this thing forward,鈥� Bakken said.

READ ALSO: Aldergrove Kodiaks release three players

Oct 22, Trappers will host Aldergrove Kodiaks in thee second all-91原创 game of the season at 2:30 p.m. in George Preston.