The 2010-11 Kimberley Dynamiters won’t have to wait long to find out if they’re a good road team or not.

After a pretty standard September, the upcoming KIJHL schedule has the Nitros hitting the highway for eight of their 10 October games. Combined with November, just six of 20 matches will be at the Kimberley Civic Centre.

“I think it’s good to get out and get away from home, and the other thing is it’s better bus driving weather. I prefer to do as many road trips as we can while the weather is good,” said Kimberley head coach and general manager Garry Jacklin.

He’s not worried that the concentration of travel could have a deleterious effect on his club.

“I’m not too concerned. Hopefully we’re just as good a road team as we are a home team.”

All that time on the bus and in hotels should be good for team bonding: with just two of the team’s top eight players returning, Jacklin said the Dynamiters would have to incorporate a lot of new blood in the lineup.

Given that KIJHL teams play as many home games as away, the pendulum swings back towards Kimberley in December and January.

Seven of 11 December games are in the friendly confines, while in January the Dynamiters venture out just once — Jan. 18 to Golden.

“Just after Christmas holidays and everything, it’s going to be nice,” said Jacklin. “The kids can feel comfortable in their billets’ house and maybe we can do some team stuff around town, so that’s kind of how we’re looking at that.”

Because of a scheduling conflict at the Civic Centre, one game remains up in the air. Kimberley’s Friday, Jan. 7 date with the Grand Forks Border Bruins will either have to be moved to Sunday or played at another venue. Jacklin anticipates that will be resolved in short order.

The schedule was arranged earlier this month, based on the Kootenay Ice’s preliminary schedule.

This year there are seven nights in which the Dynamiters and their major junior cousins in Cranbrook will have conflicting home games. Last year, there was as many in the first three months.

Jacklin likes that this year’s schedule sees the Nitros meeting the Fernie Ghostriders for the first time Oct. 22.

“We’re going to be two months into the schedule before we even play what I think is going to be the top team in the league,” said the coach. “I think that gives us time to build towards where we want to be and hopefully we can give them a run for their money.”

The Riders are hosting the Cyclone Taylor Cup junior B provincial championship this season, and held the Nitros to a 0-8-1 record last year.

“Last year, I don’t think the Dynamiters won a game against them so we’re definitely looking at being some competition for them,” said Jacklin. “Through that stretch we’re going to play them a lot in October, November and December, so hopefully we’re up to the challenge.”

In the much nearer future, the Dynamiters are preparing for their training camp, which runs from Aug. 28 to 30 at the Civic Centre.

The team is still accepting registration to the open camp. Forms can be found at kimberleydynamiters.net.

“We can still take some more kids,” said Jacklin. “It could be one of the bigger camps that they’ve had here the last five or six years.”