NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

1. Terriers make moves: A pretty quiet seeming Yorkton Terriers off-season came to life this past week as head coach/GM Matt Hehr made a pair of moves for big boys. Hulking 20-year-old winger Erik Boers was clearly caught up in a numbers game in Estevan and will bring a lot of toughness to Westland Arena, while Lethbridge-born defender Tyson Perkins has yet to play a junior game, but brings his 6-foot-4 frame from the Westcourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Between Tyson Janzen, Parker Jasper, and new boys Kody Norberg and Perkins, it looks as though Hehr has an intriguing start to a D-corps for this upcoming season.  

1. SJ vax rules?: At the time of writing there has been no official announcement of official Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League vaccination rules for staff/players/coaches/etc., but I hear it’s right around the corner. Will there be a fallout of people walking away from the league if they make double vaccination mandatory, or require a billion negative tests every day? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me. I hope not, of course. 

1. ND Camp: Hounds camp kicks off next Monday, Sept. 6 and I cannot wait! Make sure you follow @ndjrahounds on Twitter and Instagram for content from yours truly, but I know there are all sorts of interesting personalities in and coming into the camp, and I’m so pumped to reconnect with everyone. Very interested in the development arc of Kev Anderson and Jaryd Sych, as I’ve said many times before, but I also know there’s more to show for all the returnees, and much to prove. The signings Brett Pilkington have made on paper have a serious amount of potential, but potential means little when it’s game time!  

1. MJ camp roster thoughts (goalies): The Moose Jaw Warriors camp roster was announced this past week, and I plan on going in further depth on DUBNetwork very soon. A few thoughts here though, and starting in the net, where games are so often won and lost, the Warriors feel pretty good about 20-year-old Carl Tetachuk, whom they acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the off-season. Last year was a down season for the Lethbridge native, but the two previous years he had a combined win percentage of 64% while playing a ton; that would do for MJ, believe me. Looks like he’ll start backed up by returnee Brett Mirwald, who showed flashes of greatness at the Hub, and certainly looks like a capable deputy over a full campaign. 

1. MJ camp roster thoughts (D-men): Pro-experienced Daemon Hunt (who should be on the World Junior team if all goes to plan), NHL pick Cole Jordan and draft-eligible Denton Mateychuk are all lefties, so it looks like the real battles will be for right-shot spots. NHL pick Max Wanner has one of them all-but sorted, but that’s where the certainty ends. Returnees Lucas Brenton and Braden Miller both shoot left too, as does camp invite Matt Smith, who was recently picked up from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Watch for former sixth-round pick Jaden Waddell, a right-shot 2004-birth-year out of the same RINK Academy program as a bunch of the Warriors, to make a real run at a roster spot. 

1. MJ camp roster thoughts (Forwards): There is very, very little space here, and I guess that’s what you want if you think you are a contender. The first 9/10 spots write themselves – Eric Alarie, Calder Anderson, Robert Baco, Atley Calvert, Logan Doust, Jagger Firkus, Cade Hayes, Ryder Korczak, Martin Rysavy, and Brayden Yager (in alphabetical order). It’ll be a battle for the rest, though on the inside I am sure there are strong opinions for or against returnees Josh Hoekstra, Bryden Kiesman, Riley Niven, and Kade Runke. One interesting invitee is 2004-born Matt Perkins, who played with Calvert, Niven, and Wanner on the Warriors U18s last year and is very highly thought of by his Junior A coach/GM Scott Barney in Humboldt. A lot of pieces upfront for MJ GM Jason Ripplinger to potentially turn into a goalie or a right-shot Dman in a trade. 

1. Kanter to Regina: The Pats had big shoes to fill in the departed Evan Daum in the digital media and community engagement department, but I am also a huge fan of Nathan Kanter, the man whom they recently brought in to replace him. Kanter did a great job as the broadcaster and media guy for the Battlefords North Stars and Salmon Arm Silverbacks the last couple of years, and don’t tell him, but I have definitely stolen a few graphic ideas from him for Notre Dame stuff. Great to have him back in Sask! Top class hiring by the Pats. 

1. Mals out: Speaking of media guys, Mr. La Ronge Ice Wolves himself Braden Malsbury is apparently on the move as the club is advertising for his job, and Braden has taken one somewhere else. He’s being coy about it, which is fine, but we in the industry all think he’s heading close to home for the new Alberta Junior league team in Blackfalds. Who knows! Going to miss the guy! Great passion for the game, for the Wolves, and the community of La Ronge!  

1. Englots: Regina Pats assistant captain Drew Englot looked great when I saw him play this summer in men’s league, but cool to see little brother Noel land a training camp invitee spot with the Moose Jaw Warriors as well. Noel, an 05-born forward, is expected to play for the Regina Pat Canadians U18 this year and is a Notre Dame Hounds Junior A first-round pick. Great times for the wonderful Englot family! 

1. So excited: Thursday night the Canadian men’s national soccer team will kick off its World Cup qualifying final round in an attempt to make the 2022 event in Qatar, and I am so pumped that I will be there in Toronto’s BMO Field as they take on Honduras! I know a bunch of other Saskies will be cheering hard in the crowd too, so it’ll be nice to see some more familiar faces, but the best part of it all is that I’ll get to watch with my big brother Matthew, who loves soccer a lot more than he loves hockey. If you’re interested, Canada will also take on the U.S.A., to be aired on TSN, on Sept. 5, and then will be back in Toronto to face El Salvador on Sept. 8 on the OneSoccer streaming service. Exciting times! 

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)