NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE RINKS

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

1. Big moves by Melfort: The biggest intra-Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League trade splash of the year so far came earlier this week as the Melfort Mustangs brought in two premium 20-year-olds, both the captains of their respective teams, and both locks to represent the league at January’s SJHL/MJHL Showcase in Winnipeg. Sunday brought a flurry of movement in and out of the Kindersley Klippers, but the biggest was the deal that sent skipper and outstanding minute-munching steady-eddie Dman Mark Snarr and a fifth-round pick to the ‘Stangs for 2002-born defenceman Brayden Koch and 2005-born forward Karson Blanchette, a Seattle Thunderbirds prospect who plays for the P.A. Mintos. Then, on Monday the ante was upped again when Melfort brought in Nolan Doell from the La Ronge Ice Wolves, one of the league’s top goal scorers and power forwards for Dman Liam McInnis and forward Tye Evans, both 2003 birth years, and cash. They are both great players in this league and look like they fit the bruising style Coach Trevor Blevins loves. I tweeted it out Tuesday: the Mustangs might just be at the league’s big-boy table now if they weren’t truly there before. I also don’t expect them to be done making trades, as Blevins is regularly one of the league’s most prolific wheelers and dealers, and Melfort is almost always a better second-half team than first.
2. Game of the Month: Very excited to announce that I, along with the broadcast team of Rory McGouran, Darren Dupont, Bamboo Shoots producer Rusty Cone, and crew will be bringing you the SJHL Game of the Month Wednesday night on SaskTel Max TV. We will get a look at those new Mustangs as they host the steadily improving Melville Millionaires at 7:30! Always a blast to work with the league and Bamboo Shoots.
3. Hounds add a gun: The Notre Dame Hounds made a solid move this past week as well, acquiring big 6’2 power forward Antoine Saint-Onge from the Estevan Bruins for a pick. I expect Antoine will do very well in the culture of that room first and foremost, but he’s a bigger guy who can protect the puck very well, and finish in tight. He’s also from Quebec, so I know Hounds star Elliot Dutil was fired up that there’s yet another French speaker around…heh. Like his two games so far, and I feel there’s only more to come as he gets more comfortable on the line with Oliver Band and Johno Hoins.
4. Ever gonna get tired?: That’s 14-straight starts, almost all of them excellent, for Humboldt Broncos’ goaltender Rayce Ramsay. Yes, Scott Barney brought him home to Sask and the Broncos to play a lot – he’s already almost at his total career Western Hockey League mark of 27 games with his Kamloops Blazers where he was the couple years previous – but certainly, this has to be getting to be a lot. Obviously, he’ll still play a ton all year, and he’s one of the best in the league, there is no doubt, but Barney did just bring in Newfoundlander William Dyke from Blackfalds in the AJHL, so we’ll see if there is any rest for the Ram!
5. Figgy: Have to send a big tip of the cap to Paul Figler, who stepped down as the Managing Editor of the DUBNetwork website this past week. He didn’t say why, but regardless, he did incredible work, in terms of quality and quantity, and really did a ton to bring a great professional blog to provide much-needed quality coverage to the Western Hockey League. All the best to him for whatever he’s up to next in the sports world (if anything), and Bushwakkers are on me when he’s next in Regina! 
6. Still perfect Tips: Everett still hasn’t lost…only one shootout loss. Sure they’re a solid team, but what’s wrong with the U.S. Division? Doesn’t matter…Edmonton is still winning the WHL.
7. Paddock’s last card?: It was coming for a while that Dave Struch was let go as the head coach of the Regina Pats, and now John Paddock will step back in. I thought it was a really interesting move after the Memorial Cup hosting year that Paddock stepped back to just be the general manager after he was also the coach for a while, so I’m assuming he did not really want this scenario to come around. You have to also assume that the pressure to get the team a bit more successful to not waste the three seasons of Connor Bedard is huge from ownership, so there’s that. I did always feel the Pats played hard for Struch, they were just outmatched talent-wise after Bedard after the much-publicized mountains of assets that were moved to try to make the team better the year of the Memorial Cup.
8. Broncos’ home cooking: You better believe I’m rooting for the Swift Current Broncos as long as my buddy Devan Praught is in charge, and after a disastrous start that led to the change from Dean Brockman, and the appointment of Praught, the team has won four of six…so some progress for the young team. They’re going to take their lumps, with that talent deficit similar to Regina after their huge run back in 2018, but I believe in Praughter, and I think they’ll figure it out in the years to come if they stick with him.
9. Do we actually want him?: It’s big free-agency talk time in Major League Baseball and I wonder, do the Jays want Robby Ray? Sure he won the A.L. Cy Young and was good, but not a high-velocity guy anymore, and a very high-effort-needed guy, and it seems so unlikely that he’ll meet or exceed the contract he’s going to demand. They signed him for one year, $8 million, which was obviously a crazy bargain, and as the Jays need quality arms badly, maybe the devil you know is better than the one you don’t in this case? I don’t know, what do you think. I’m out if I’m the Jays.
10. Black Friday: Finally Black Friday deals are abounding online, and as I’m in my tired, sleep-deprived-from-a-newborn state, I find myself browsing a lot. I already bought a Fire Stick and a new rice cooker, but I’ll remind you, and myself, that the jolt of endorphins you get from a Black Friday deal on a thing you don’t need doesn’t last! Ha! I mean this light-heartedly, but be careful with your online shopping this year people! 

 (Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)