Getting through 2021 with a record of 12-18-0-1 through 31 games, the Kindersley Klippers have some challenges ahead of them to get back into the playoffs by the end of the season, but they'll be taking those challenges on with a new captain at the helm. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Klippers have name a Kindersley local as their new captain heading into the final half of the season in Jaxon Georget.

According to Head Coach and GM Ken Plaquin, Georget has been working and playing as someone deserving of the captaincy since the beginning of the season and has stepped up further since the trade of former captain Mark Snarr, making the choice obvious as for who should be wearing the 'C' for the rest of the season.

"I think if you go by work ethic and just demeanor and how he comes into the rink every day, he probably was that guy from the beginning. He's always done a great job for how hard he works and how he leads by example so it was a no brainer."

Georget is the first Kindersley local to captain the Klippers in nearly a decade since Djay McGrath did in 2012-13.

With a newly named local captain as the lead positive, the other for the Klippers going into 2022 is that they start with a seven game homestand to start the new year. The tough part of that is who the Klippers start that stretch against the second-in-the-league Estevan Bruins visiting town, but Plaquin believes there's no better time for that sort of challenge.

"I don't see any reason why we would ease into things. I think it's a good test and hopefully we're ready for it, and I think we are and honestly everybody in this league is beating everybody now so everybody is a big test. So we have to be ready to play as good as we can every night. I'm confident and not worried too much about playing Estevan, if the right Klipper team shows up will be just fine."

The injury bug has played a large part in the Klippers shortcomings so far this season with both four game losing streaks they've had this season being affected, in October by a majority of injuries up front, and the current four game losing skid they're on coming from defensive and goaltender related absences. There are still a few absences due to some COVID-19 close contact related issues, but with guys like Josh Pufahl and Josh Morton returning to the lineup, the Klippers are in good position to fix up an issue that Plaquin wants to see erased on the ice.

"One of them is our net front presence, that net front toughness and new guys like Morty, Koch, Bell and Degraves too are going to help with that quite a bit. So net front toughness, kind of our consistency in the defensive zone."

On the flip side of that coin, Plaquin is very happy with how the group is willing to work together to find a solution and build a team that can still make a playoff run this year despite where they stand now. 

"The dressing room. It's a great group of kids. They all really like each other, they want to play for each other, we just need to figure out how we can translate what goes on in the dressing room and what goes on in practice into games and I think if we can do that, we'll see a big difference."

With the trade deadline coming on January 10th, Plaquin doesn't seem like he's planning to play around with team chemistry too much by trading anyone away or bringing anyone new in. That said, there's one area that if the right player and the right deal came along, they would still need more offensive production from their lineup as a whole to get into the playoff contention.

"We need to find a way to manufacture more goals. We don't have a real natural goal scorer, so that's another thing that we need. We're maybe looking for one and bringing him in if we can find one, but we need to figure out a way to score goals more by committee than we have been consistently."

The Klippers play the Estevan Bruins Wednesday night followed by the Notre Dame Hounds Thursday, and the Melville Millionaires on Saturday, all of which are at the West Central Events Centre.