The Jr. C Knights will still play in the SEJHL, but will also jump up for more than two dozen games under coach Kevin Kerr. Kerr is a Hockey Hall of Fame member, due to his all-time goalscoring record in the minor leagues over a 19-year pro career.

They will play 28 contests against Jr. B competition, playing in the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Columbus Day tournament, the Jr. B bracket in the Woodchuck Tournament, two Jr. B tournaments in Toronto and another one next President's Day weekend.

"We are challenging the players," Falkenstein said. "It's going to be more competitive in the SEJHL."

A fun brand of air conditioning

While Vinny Saponari never actually played for the Atlanta Jr. Knights, he said that it's great to see that a fastpaced level of amateur hockey is finally being played in the South. The Atlanta native was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the recent 2008 NHL Entry Draft (see story on page 10).

The Thrashers' arrival in 1999 spurred on a rise of youth hockey teams. Most of the teams were instructional and Mite-age teams. Older players who started playing on the few teams before the Thrashers arrival didn't have many options once they hit the teenage years.

"When I was there, there weren't many older age groups," said Saponari, who went to play for Culver Military Academy, and for the U.S. National Team Development Program. "Now, there's getting to be more teams like the Atlanta Jr. Knights, so there will be better competition at an older age."

J.A. Schneider, brother to longtime NHL defenseman Mathieu Schneider, said that he's already heard from players who went elsewhere last year.

"We are getting interest from guys who left town," he added. "We at least give kids a local option, but I wouldn't talk a kid out of going to play junior at a higher level up north or at prep school. He can spend a year or two here and continue to develop before that.

"Players are not just treading water or falling behind the curve by staying in Atlanta," Schneider said.

The coach expects a well-skilled group for both teams this year, possibly a little younger than in the inaugural season.

"Last season, we were carried to some degree by some older players," Schneider said.

Andrew Chlebek, Justin Day, Tyler Totten and Matt Corns were these leaders, with Chlebek holding down the captaincy, and Corns wearing the "A" as alternate captain.

Chlebek and Totten were on the 2006-07 Kennesaw State club team that won the national Division 3 club championship.

"These guys convinced other local players to come and join our team who didn't know where they were going to play," said Schneider.

Matthew Preston is a local player who led the 2007-08 SEJHL team in scoring (42 points in 41 games) and is expected to do so again for the 2008- 09 Knights in the Metropolitan League.

Goalies Oliver Evans and Leo Falkenstein are both listed on the organizational 2008-09 roster, as are the fourth-and sixth-leading scorers, 1989-born forwards Matthew Baske (35 points in 41 games) and Donik Abramov (27 points in 40 games). The team has six Knights returning on defense to the organization, including Michael Bellino (22 points in 40 games) and Parker Pavuk (21 points in 41 games).

All of these players and more will get the chance to be seen in onlinebroadcast games, which David Falkenstein will be negotiating a contract for, in order to increase the exposure to college and junior coaches.

All told, in Year 2, anything can happen.

"In our first season, I never had any thoughts of playing for the national championship," David Falkenstein said.

Atlanta, Georgia is many things, among those a true "hockey town."

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