NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

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

Kudos to Holtby!: Let’s start with the Canadian University game – which I love, which you should go watch, and is still the best-kept secret in hockey – and the University of Regina’s Brandon Holtby! The fifth-year hometown boy broke an 87-year-old Canada West record for saves in a shutout Saturday when he stopped all 50 Alberta shots en route to a 3-0 Cougars win. That is just insane. Holtby played for Dauphin, and Wayway in the Manitoba League, and briefly for Humboldt and Estevan in the SJ, and proves my point that USports coaches need to be giving the ice time to the player that DESERVES IT, and not just hand it someone because they were major junior or pro. Holtby is an elite goalie in USports and should get lots of pro looks whenever he’s done! He’s going to have to be great every night again for Regina though, as the Cougs are 1-4 after five games. Babcock’s UofS Huskies are 3-0 if you’re wondering (which I’m sure you are).
A good haul for Joe: Back in the SJ and not a bad haul for Weyburn Red Wings coach/GM Cody Mapes as he and the club move on from long-time fixture and 2001-born Joe Young in the net. In return from Blackfalds in the Alberta league, they get an at-least serviceable forward in California-native Jackson Ferry (a long-time teammate of Benji Rutkai, another newer Wing), some cash, and “futures”. Young, of Regina, was a great rookie for Weyburn back in 2019-2020, but his performances since have been up-and-down, and from the outside, it looked as though 2004-born rookie Dazza Mitchell had replaced him as the Wings’ No. 1 (and Mitchell is really, really good). All the best to the great Joe Young in Alberta!
Boston’s spot: Someone who looks here to stay in Southern Sask is Boston Bilous. The Estevan Bruins goaltender struggled last year in the Regina Hub with his Moose Jaw Warriors, but has garnered a couple of Goalie of the Week honours in the SJ with the Centennial Cup hosts (more on them later), and presently has a sterling 1.92 goals-against average and .933 save percentage with eight wins through 12 appearances. He was once very highly thought-of out of the Delta Hockey Academy in the CSSHL years ago, and in very interactions with him seems like a really good young man! 
Moves are comin: From what I hear, Joe Young’s move is just the tip of the iceberg as a few teams in the SJ are not thrilled with their start! With the Centennial Cup in town, eyeballs will be on the league, so it shouldn’t be that big of a surprise – and let’s be honest, pretty much all the coaches and GMs in our league like a good trade. About a quarter of the way into the season is when coaches tend to think they really know what they have in their squad, so brace yourself for a wild transactional ride!
Most underrated D in the SJ?: There are a lot of good options here, but the more I watch Estevan’s Alex Von Sprecken, the more I am a fan. I know from Notre Dame connections (where he once attended) that he is a freak of nature in the gym, but is starting to find his offensive groove, and is so steady defensively. It obviously helps to give the puck to guys like Mark Rumsey and Olivier Pouliot and watch them do their thing, but it’s a really good spot for a hometown boy – and I love a good hometown boy doing well in his hometown market (can I say hometown one more time in this sentence?).
Bulych out in SC: Speaking of hometown, how about Yorkton boy and 2001-born Aiden Bulych’s release from the Swift Current Broncos? The former Yorkton Terrier was an assistant captain for two years, but the release suggests he’s looking to land somewhere in Junior A! Would be a nice pickup! There is a long history of Yorkton kids (Taphorns, Kishaun Gervais, etc.) coming home, but I don’t have any information of that sort.
Red hot Bruins: But how about those Estevan Bruins! They are 7-0-1 in their last eight, are +35 through 15 games, and look like they’re finding their groove. I said in preview articles and shows that they would pummel some teams, and their talent is finally coming to bear. Kian Calder was a Godsend from Portage in the MJ, and as I said above, Bilous looks great. Head coach/GM Jason Tatarnic won’t stop tinkering until he has to, but so far so good at Affinity Place.
The ICE lost!: Back to the ‘Dub’ and my beloved Winnipeg ICE finally lost…to the team that is going to win the WHL, the Edmonton Oil Kings. It was going to happen at some point, and a clash of the titans at Rogers Place (the Oilers rink itself) last Friday night was not the worst spot to do it. The ICE are still a wagon though (12-1 ain’t bad), and many people will have a heck of a time with the Oil Kings this year. 
Back calling the Cougs: Was great to be back on the air on CanadaWest.TV calling the Regina Cougars women’s hockey team this past weekend, as they had two nail-biting overtime defeats to the Alberta Pandas. I called the game on Friday, and while Regina lost 3-2, their Coach Sarah Hodges (in her 23rd year!) was right about their young talent: it’s very good and very young. If they can keep them all, this will be a real force to be reckoned with moving forward! Arden Kliewer out of Saskatoon looks fantastic in the net!
A word for Beach: I don’t want to say too much about the Kyle Beach situation as it has been well-covered by better writers than me, but this covering of sins by “lawyers” and “good old-hockey guys” needs to stop today, now, and forever. Gary Bettman’s press conference Monday was sickening, even in the midst of litigation, and to put winning ahead of the rooting out of evil actions that were done to Beach is just so sad. I have kids now, and I work closely with junior hockey players, and I’m sure you know players too…so if you have anything contrary to say about the support for Beach and punishment for the Hawks, I say “how would you feel if it were your kid”? Think about it.