NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds/DUBNetwork.ca MJ Warriors Beat Writer

1. Not 100%: The news came out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s coaches’ meetings a couple of weeks ago that the start date for the league would be Sept. 24, as I reported last week in this column, but then league President Bill Chow went on the Rod Pedersen Show and said that everything is still pending government approval. So, until that happens, nothing is 100 percent for sure, BUT as far as I understand, the government is working with the league in a much more helpful, hopeful light than they have at any point over these past couple of hard years during the pandemic. Sources I have that, how shall I put this, are not given to excessive optimism, are pretty optimistic that we’ll see SJHL hockey in September at some point…so, let’s hope! 
2. Go Knights: Lots of people texting me asking if I’ll cheer for the Habs now as “Canada’s Team”, and how I feel about the CN Tower displaying the Canadiens’ colours, to which I say: I hope Vegas beats them 10-0 every game. Okay, that’s a little extreme, but I just can’t buy into either Montreal or Ottawa as “Canada’s team” now, the rivalry is too deep for me (and their fans are just too rabidly anti-Leafs/Toronto in general) to join that bandwagon. Go Knights. 
3. Chirping ND: Anyone want to chirp Notre Dame with Jon Cooper and Barry Trotz, two proud Hounds, are coaching their respective teams, which both also have Hounds on their rosters, in the conference finals? I know the college in Wilcox, from its Junior team on down, isn’t for everyone, but so many of the ones that buy-in down there seem to come out better. Proud to be part of it! 
4. Ramsay returns: It wasn’t a big secret, but the Humboldt Broncos have long held out hopes that goaltender Rayce Ramsay would return at some point from the Kamloops Blazers after his pretty solid stint at the Elgar Peterson Arena back in 18-19. Well, he is coming back as a 20-year-old, and it’s a great start for head coach/GM Scott Barney to reboot the program after he had put together what looked like an absolute juggernaut for the Covid-ruined campaign. Barney will keep adding and building as he loves to do – there is no “rebuilding time” if Scott is at the helm…it’s always going to be “retooling”. He’s good at what he does, and I respect the way he goes about it!
5. Schedule: I have heard the SJHL schedule will be worked out sometime later this month, so stay tuned for that! Let’s have a safe 58-game season! The government has tied their re-opening with people getting vaccinated, so while yes, it is your right to get vaxxed or not, know that the sooner the government hits their targets of the percentage of the population stabbed, the sooner they’ll give the league (and other leagues) the big, official thumbs up. That’s just the way it is.
6. Warriors’ goalie solution?: Pretty excited to keep covering the Moose Jaw Warriors for DUBNetwork, and hope you’re all following along and enjoying it! I wrote this past week about the Warriors’ goaltending situation, specifically that they added veteran Carl Tetachuk from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, which you can find here: https://www.dubnetwork.ca/east-division/warriors-acquire-tetachuk-from-hurricanes/. Is he the answer? That and more!
7. Massier: Every year the talk about 20-year-olds in the WHL is interesting, as there are only three spots on each team for them, and given the strange nature of this past campaign, it might be even more interesting. Three-year Regina Pat Carter Massier’s Junior A rights were acquired this past week by the Estevan Bruins, the Centennial Cup hosts, from Melville, and it’ll be pretty interesting to see how many 2001 birth-years with Major Junior experience the Bruins bring in. With Estevan head scout Todd Ripplinger being the brother of Moose Jaw Warriors GM Jason, you can expect the relationship between those two clubs to continue to pay dividends (MJ’s 2001-born Boston Bilous and Nolan Jones started the year with Estevan this past season, for example), and Estevan’s coach/GM Jason Tatarnic has connections all over the country, so he will continue to look to load the club to represent the SJ well as hosts at the Nationals. 
8. Ford commits: Big kudos to Kindersley Klippers 2000-born forward Kyle Ford for his commitment to the University of Alberta at Augustana in the Alberta club university loup, one that continues to grow. Ford was initially brought into the league by the La Ronge Ice Wolves, as one of many solid picks by GM Kevin Kaminski out of B.C. Junior B. He was then moved to Kindersley as part of the blockbuster moves between those two clubs and Melfort involving Jake Hobson and did very well with the Klippers as well. Lots of the 2000s in our league finding spots, despite the Pandemic! Very happy about it.
9. Euros: Enjoyed the start of the European Football (soccer) Championships taking place right now all over Europe, many places in front of a full house! Non-stop quality soccer, awesome! Get on the soccer train now folks, it’s growing and growing in our country, and our national teams are in the best places they’ve been talent-wise ever. If you asked me for a Euro favourite, I would have to say that France is in a class of their own in terms of depth, in terms of commitment to playing the way their coach wants, and the recent experience of winning the World Cup with the same core. Loaded all over the field.
10. CFL: Exciting to see the CFL come back for sure! I’m sure Mosaic will have as many people in it as are allowed for Rider games, but if you like the Riders, I am going to ask you right now to also commit to coming out to at least one Regina Rams and/or Saskatchewan Huskies game! University sports of all kinds are the most underrated sports you can see in this country – awesome athletes for a fraction of the price. Either way, it’s nice as a Riders fan to have a fully settled feeling when it comes to the quarterback position with Cody Fajardo, and everything comes around that. 

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)