(Story courtesy Marc Smith, DiscoverMooseJaw.com)  The Moose Jaw Warriors were an intimidating team last season with the likes of Dylan McIlrath and Cody Beach patrolling the ice and letting the star players do their thing. This year might be a little different for the tribe with those players off duty.

So far, the team hasn't been afraid to drop the gloves in the preseason with five fighting majors being handed out in the last two games, but the Warriors don't feature that "heavyweight" this season, meaning the duty of sticking up for teammates will fall on the entire team.

One player who feels he can make an impact in the physical area is 16-year-old rookie Josh Uhrich.

"That's kind of how I've always played, I like the greasy stuff and if I have to step in and drop the mitts for one of the boys then I will," explained the Warriors 2011 second round pick.

Uhrich is wearing the right number for the role this season, taking over Beach's number 16 in his rookie year.

The Rosetown native is also off to a fast start to his WHL fighting career after he dropped the gloves with Swift Current defenceman Zack Gonek on Sunday at Mosaic Place. He didn't shy away from the rough stuff during training camp either with a fight in one of the scrimmages.

While Gonek is also a 16-year-old rookie in the league, Uhrich will no doubt have to square off with some older players at later points in the season. He says he's ready whenever he's needed, "I think if you believe you can do something, you can do it. It doesn't matter how old any of your opponents are, just right technique and you'll do fine."

Uhrich says he's been working hard to get ready for his first WHL season with an eye on sticking with the tribe throughout the year, "I've done a lot of training, a lot of power skating, a lot of skills and stuff, just so I can step in and be ready to play."

The burden of fighting won't fall solely on the young forwards hands though as third year players Jordan Wyton and Joel Edmundson haven't shied away from fighting game during their careers. Both have also dropped the gloves so far in the preseason.

The Warriors finish off their preseason schedule this weekend with a home-and-home series against the Brandon Wheat Kings. The tribe is in Brandon on Friday and back at Mosaic Place on Saturday. Both games will mark the return of Warriors Hockey to the airwaves on Country 100 (100.7 FM). The pre-game show starts on Friday at 5:55pm.