The Vancouver Giants open their Western Hockey League regular season on Friday and they will be wearing a tribute jersey that will honour B.C.'s hockey history and First Nations' contribution to that history. The jersey was unveiled at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Thursday. The 'lazy cross' on the crest is the brand of the Alkili Lake Ranch, and was worn by the Alkili Lake Braves in their successful quest for the Northern League title in 1931. Pictured is (from left to right) players Cain Franson, Dalton Sward and Tim Traber. Photograph by: Jason Payne , PNG

VANCOUVER — After their disastrous last overall finish one year ago, the Vancouver Giants have only direction to go when they begin their 2013-14 WHL season Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum against the Victoria Royals (7:30 p.m., Team 1040).

Their motto for the new campaign is “champions under construction,” which means they’re still young, still building and still not sure where they fit in the overall league hierarchy. Even crusty coach Don Hay isn’t making any promises. The Giants won just 21 of 72 games last season.

“I think we’re going to show improvement,” Hay said Thursday at a news conference to kick off the new season. “I think that’s our main goal. We want to push for a playoff spot.”

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The Giants will have a different look, too, when they step on the ice for Friday’s puck drop. They’ll be wearing special jerseys — cream-coloured trimmed in black — to honour First Nations hockey players, among them Fred Sasakamoose. The 78-year-old Sasakamoose was the first player from a reserve to make the National Hockey League.

According to the Giants, the “lazy cross” logo represents the Alkali Lake Ranch Braves, a team that played out of the Cariboo in the 1930s. Sasakamoose didn’t skate for that team but he did play with Bill Mosienko, Bill Gadsby and Kenny Wharram on the 1953-54 Chicago Blackhawks. He appeared in 11 games.

“I think it’s tremendous what the Giants are doing,” said Sasakamoose, who is from Debden, Sask. “I had to go through hurdles in life because of being an Indian and it was very difficult. The Giants are giving us a little pride.”

Asked for an assessment of today’s game compared to his era, Sasakamoose was quick with his reply.

“The players are a lot bigger,” he noted. “I think Gordie Howe (6-0, 205 pounds) was what you would call the biggest. Maurice Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Bill Mosienko, they were small men. Look at me. I’m 5-8 but I could dance on my skates when I was a young man. Maybe not like Paul Coffey, but let’s say close.”

Hay probably wouldn’t mind having any one of those players on his roster, at least junior versions of them. He will, however, have four players who were in NHL camps this month: defencemen Mason Geertsen (Avalanche) and Brett Kulak (Flames); and forwards Jackson Houck (Oilers) and Cain Franson (Canucks).

Geertsen, Kulak and Houck are draft picks while Franson was on a tryout. They’ll form a large part of the team’s nucleus along with gritty forwards Tim Traber and Dalton Sward and goalie Payton Lee. The cream of the new crop are Ty Ronning, Cliff’s son, and Minnesota native Alec Baer, both highly skilled forwards. Their two imports are Russian defenceman Dmitry Osipov and German centre Andreas Eder.

First overall bantam pick Tyler Benson, still 15, is not eligible to play full-time for the Giants until next season, or until his midget team in Kelowna is eliminated from its playoffs. He can dress five times as a call-up.