Copperheads add sniper

The rich get richer.

The perennial HJHL powerhouse Coaldale Copperheads, who have earned a trip to the league championship in each of the past two seasons, just added a big-time weapon.

The Snakes welcomed Isaac Benoit to the fold on Wednesday and head coach Danton Shigemi said he would probably be able to find room for the sniper.

"Yeah, he should make the team," Shigemi said with a chuckle.

Benoit piled up 30 goals and 58 points in 35 games with the HJHL's Strathmore Wheatland Kings last season.

"We saw him last year with Strathmore," Shigemi said. "Any time you can add a guy like that, he'll complement our guys nicely.

"He led the league in 18-year-old scoring last year, and was top six (overall).

"So guys like that don't come around too often."

Benoit is attending the U of L, studying general humanities, and was looking for a team.

"I was testing out school for awhile and then I contacted the Coaldale team," Benoit said. "I went out for a skate and it worked out.

"It'll be weird getting used to (a new team) but they seem to have a good group of guys.

"And I knew a couple of the guys from Strathmore."

Benoit said it will be nice to be on the fans' good side, for a change, in the rabid Snake Pit.

"Coaldale is absolutely insane," the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder said. "The crowd gets in players' heads."

Shigemi said he plans to try putting Benoit with centre Jayden Bexte.

"There's times when he should shoot, but he's a pass-first guy," Shigemi said. "So we hope that works well."

The Copperheads have a big weekend ahead of them, beginning with a rematch of last spring's championship series against the Thunder (Saturday, 8:30 p.m.).

"We have Airdrie on Saturday and we met them in the (2019) final," Shigemi said.

"We know it's not the same team but lots of our guys are the same so we'll be looking for some revenge there.

"And then we go into Medicine Hat on Sunday for their home opener, and our rivalry obviously speaks for itself."