The Billings Bulls won 10 more games last season than they did the year prior.

But coach Chris Hartly said the improvement could have been greater if not for one factor.

“We were a little disappointed last year — not with the players we had, but with some of the players we missed out on,” said the second-year coach. “There were some players we didn’t get that really would have helped possibly put us over the top to make us one of the top teams in the league.

“We had a little trouble closing some deals. We needed to hit the recruiting path a little bit harder and reach a little further for players.”

So Hartly and assistant coach Mike Richardson have been hard at work this summer, searching high and low for players to help make the Bulls a contender. Hartly said he’s been to nine camps already, and he’s not done yet.

The plan, other than basic scouting, has been to build relationships with teams at higher levels — such as the Tier II Junior A North American Hockey League — in an effort to help filter players to Billings.

“To not have that set up as well as we wanted last year was a little bit of a let down,” Hartly said. “We’re focusing a different way this year. Instead of relying on the trickle-down as much, we’re focusing more on starting off stronger and not waiting for the talent to come in.”

The Bulls opened last season with a 2-8 record, but once their roster took shape they won 28 of their final 40 games to qualify for the NorPac league playoffs.

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Billings, of course, left the NorPac last month to join a new version of the America West Hockey League, now a Tier III conglomerate.

The league consists of six teams: Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, the Great Falls Americans and the Gillette (Wyo.) Wild.

The AWHL was established in 1992. The Tier II version of the Bulls were a charter member of the original league, winning several championships and developing handfuls of NCAA Division I players while skating at Rimrock Auto Arena.

Billings dropped to the Tier III level and joined the NorPac in 2006 after contract negotiations to continue playing at MetraPark failed. The Bulls have played their home games at Centennial Ice Arena since.

The new version of the AWHL purports to separate itself from contemporary leagues with of a code of conduct or, as they’re called, “Standards of Excellence.”

These standards will establish for players higher benchmarks for success, which include everything from increased practice time to education and nutrition standards.

That, Hartly said, makes the Bulls more attractive to hungry players.

Added team owner Doug Strong: “We’re really going to push teams to adhere to the Standards of Excellence, and that’s going to bring in higher quality kids — those that are good academically with a drive to go to college. Just with the way it’s structured, I think we’ve made a really good move.”

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Hartly said he expects a number of veterans to return to the Bulls this season, including high-scoring center Paul Hoffman. Still, Hartly added, “We try not to get overly excited until they actually walk in the door.”

Hartly at least knows the team will be without three of its leading scorers. Forwards Oliver Wong, Jesse Kantanen and Zach McDonald have all exhausted their junior hockey eligibility.

Regardless of who makes up the roster, the Bulls’ aim remains the same.

“We want to win games here, but we have a balanced focus,” Hartly said. “We also want to prepare players and push them on to the next level. We don’t want to sacrifice one for the other.”

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Oz Fitness, Strong’s Tier I 16-U Midget AAA club, is gearing up for its second season of operation. Richardson remains head coach, supplementing his duties as the Bulls’ top assistant.

Oz Fitness placed fourth in the National Junior Prospects Hockey League in its inaugural year. The team traveled to nine tournaments, highlighted by a 4-0 record at the USHL Showcase in Indianapolis, Ind., and a victory over the Pittsburgh Predators, the only NJPHL team to do so.

“Starting a program like we did from scratch, the first two or three years is just making a foundation for yourself,” said Richardson, who was named the NJPHL coach of the year. “And we exceeded our expectations.”

Richardson said the schedule for this season is already set, a slate that includes tournaments in Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Rochester, N.Y.

The Bulls will continue to serve as Oz Fitness’ direct Junior A affiliate.

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The Bulls released their regular-season schedule last week.

The schedule consists of 48 games — 24 at home and 24 on the road — and features four games at Rimrock Auto Arena. Billings will host Great Falls there on Dec. 29, and then welcomes Bozeman for its annual New Year’s Eve contest. Games against Gillette and Helena will also be played at the team’s old home Jan. 6-7.

Additionally, the Oz Fitness club will play a pair of games against the U-16 Utah Regulators at Rimrock Auto Arena as part of a doubleheader with the Bulls’ games against Gillette and Helena.

A number of promotions are slated for those games, including a Fan Appreciation Night on Dec. 29. The Bulls are planning several promotions for their games at Centennial Arena, as well.

The Bulls open their season on Friday, Sept. 30, at home against Gillette.

Season tickets, as well as tickets to individual home games, are on sale. For information, contact the Bulls office at 294-0406.

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Both the Bulls and Oz Fitness continue to target local players. In correlation with that goal is the third annual preseason skills and development camp Aug. 8-12 at Centennial Arena.

Hartly, Richardson and Al Bloomer, USA Hockey’s National Coach in Chief, will conduct drills, along with other USA Hockey registered coaches.

Players will be exposed to USA Hockey’s American Development Model (ADM), which is designed to optimize player activity and participation.

“We have openings,” Strong said. “Anybody and everybody is welcome.”

For information, call the Bulls office at 294-0406, or visit billingsbulls.com or ozfitnesshockey.com.

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