By Casandra Turnbull, The Paris Independent

The Paris Titans have spent the last few months fine- tuning their roster and building an exciting new image ahead of the start of the 2023/2024 PJHL season.

When the junior hockey team hit the ice this week, players donned a new name and logo on their jerseys - The Paris Titans - a reflection of the new image they want to portray: strength, fight, resilience and courage. The Titans, for decades known as The Paris Mounties, underwent a club ownership change this past spring marking the official end of the Mounties days and the launch of an entirely new organization as the new owners attempt to bring the team from the basement to the top of the Doherty Division.

"The success and championships that Paris enjoyed over the decades as Mounties, will always be unforgettable memories for the community. Those memories do not diminish with a new name. Mounties will always be part of our franchise history," says Mike Christian, President and Owner of the Paris Titans. Christian will be the Head Coach on the bench along with a qualified and supportive coaching staff.

Behind the scenes, the coaching staff has begun implementing effective routines that will translate into quality habits for both the coaches and the players this season, said Christian. The roster for the upcoming season is also close to finalized, he said. "Our upcoming exhibition games will give us our first opportunity to evaluate players in a true game situation. We expect the compete level to be high as players look to make an impression on our new coaching staff." He predicts the starting line up will be close to secured by the season opener on September 15th.

Initial tryouts for the Paris Titans started in July. A goaltender specific evaluation process took place during a mini camp held July 10-14, with over 60 players in attendance. Some of the best players around have shown up throughout the summer to skate in weekly on-ice sessions.

So, what does all this hard work behind the scenes mean for fans? That's simple - back to the basics, well structured hockey from a group of players with the thirst to win Overall, the prospective players and their attitudes are looking positive.

"The Titans roster will be made up of players that are committed to winning and players that compete at a high level. Some fresh faces on this roster will provide quality depth to our forwards group, defence and our goaltending."