NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE SJHL

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

The Schedule Is Out! But Is It?: So the league published a schedule Tuesday that all teams have agreed on! Hallelujah! I’ve been really impressed with the heightened level and quality of communication coming from the SJ since we got the go-ahead from SaskHealth. Here’s the catch: while the schedule says we drop the puck on the season Nov. 6 with a tasty dish of games, it actually means nothing until the teams and SaskHealth can agree on how many fans are to be allowed in each building. Almost every team has stated that the pre-season total of 150 fans is not viable for a season. I have no idea to what degree it’s an impasse, if it is one at all; I just know Nov. 6 is not yet official. Let’s all stay positive though!
The WHL-Sized Elephant In The Room: The biggest talking point on message boards and elsewhere is the SJHL’s acceptance of Major Junior players until Dec. 20. The Western Hockey League has stated they plan to start their season Jan. 8, and I hear Regina Pats camp is scheduled to open Boxing Day. Contrary to popular belief, the quantity of WHLers per team is uncapped, though cards used to sign these kids will count the same to a team’s total as any other player. Teams like Melville, Yorkton, and Flin Flon will certainly have a large contingent, ranging from fringe CHLers to legitimate future pros (more on that later), while I expect clubs such as Estevan and Humboldt to have one or two, and still others like Weyburn and La Ronge to use none. So, it’s a range. Here’s what I think in as brief as possible (I could write a lot about this): I am unhappy that it was so-ruled from an SJHL perspective, as this league has stated its interest to be an NCAA-focussed league, and allowing itself to be an extended training camp for the WHL sends the wrong message. To me, the future of this league needs to be younger, with lots of Division I scouts watching in person, or on quality HockeyTV broadcasts (or wherever they’re shown), and therefore it should be a place where talented young men can play to get a large chunk of scholarship cash at the collegiate level. The pandemic sucks for everyone, no doubt about it, and I don’t blame any of the major junior players themselves for coming, but in the long run it’s going to take a couple months of ice-time away from players who, for a lot of them, chose the Junior A-to-college path because it affords them MORE time to develop while maintaining their NCAA eligibility. From a team standpoint, it does seem like a short-sighted move to stock your room with these WHLers, because the second the Dub gets moving, they’re gone; and then you didn’t develop other guys, guys you probably promised to develop, for what we hope is the business end of the SJHL schedule and beyond. One coach said on the issue that “there’s no loyalty in hockey!”, but while that’s often unfortunately true, this whole episode is in my opinion just another instance of the disunity of focus on the part of the coaches in this league. There is nothing I or anyone who disagrees with the decision can do about it now, and far more important than whether or not there is a pile of WHLers in the SJHL, I am just so happy that there is SJHL hockey to talk about!
The Hounds Say What You Hope They Would: The first thing I did when I found out about the ruling was to message a whole bunch of my ND Hounds boys, and almost to a man the response was excitement to test themselves against that level of quality player. I plan on reaching out to players on a different team, perhaps one where a large number of major junior training campers are expected, to see if the answer is different.
From A Hockey Fan’s Perspective…: I’ve heard fans and pundits outside the league wonder: “what’s the big deal? Won’t the hockey be better? Won’t it be fun to see some of these guys up close and personal in our local rink?”, and to that I also have to uncomfortably agree (hah!). Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Cole Fonstad from the Everett Silvertips has already played two pre-season games for the Estevan Bruins, while Moose Jaw native and New York Islanders pick Reece Newkirk of the Portland Winterhawks is en route to the Melville Millionaires, along with fellow Hawk, and big-time scorer Jaydon Dureau of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. This is just to name a few! Will it be super cool to see how good these guys are on a regular basis, and to what degree they’ll compete, or play it safe knowing an important WHL season is coming up? For sure it will.
What We Learned From ND-Humboldt: I was so excited to call two games this weekend, the first two of the 14 (yes, 14) games that the Hounds and Humboldt Broncos will play this season. The first thing to point out is that the Broncos are just electric, and while both coaches (Scott Barney of Humboldt, and Brett Pilkington of ND) would likely argue neither of their teams played perfect games, as you would expect in the first two pre-season games of any season, this Humboldt team’s ability to create and finish quality scoring chances has a chance to be better than any I’ve personally seen in the league. You make soft plays, and turn the puck over anywhere on the ice, they will kill you. Period. The Hounds had some good spells for sure, but lacked the cutting edge (and/or confidence, and/or puck luck) to take advantage of their chances, and it was likely a rude awakening for 16 ND players making their Junior A debuts, and more besides making their SJHL debuts. So what can I say about ND from this performance? Not much, really. What can I say about Humboldt? If there was a CJHL ranking (which there shouldn’t be, because, you know…), they should be a Top 10 team in Canada.
The New Petruic?: It is early, and it was only two games, and to compare anyone to Chantz Petruic right now is insane, but I am going to do it anyway. Humboldt’s Logan Kurki was absolutely flying in the two games, scoring four points over the weekend, and looked incredibly dangerous every time he touched the ice. My excellent colleague Rory McGouran, the voice of the Broncos, pointed out that the 01-born Maple Ridge, BC native led the league last year with 17 goals after Christmas, and it looks like he’s more-than picked up where he left off. We’re hoping to have a 50-game season, and from what I saw I would put his over-under on goals in the campaign at 40. With guys like Luke Spadafora, Tristan Shewchuk, Chase Nameth, Stephane Huard Jr., and others around him, he is just looking scary.
Don’t Panic Battlefords: Fans of the defending champion Battlefords North Stars are likely in uncharted water after two thunderous defeats at hands of their blood-rivals the Kindersley Klippers over the weekend. Don’t panic: if I know Brayden Klimosko, the club’s head coach/GM, he has a plan. More importantly, it’s ONLY pre-season. It doesn’t really count. That’s what I keep telling myself too…
QLS: Surprise transaction news came down the pipe on Sunday as North Stars championship hero Quintin Loon-Stewardson is returning to the league as…wait for it…an Estevan Bruin. QLS started the off-season in the BCHL with Prince George before being sent to Alberni Valley weeks later in June. As a kid who put up 30 goals and 168 penalty minutes with Battlefords a year ago, he should fit right into the Estevan mould. I did reach out to welcome him back to Sask, and he seemed extremely excited to be a Bruin. I told Rod he would love Q and his big bro Elijah while he was covering the league finals a couple years ago, and boy did he ever. Buckle up Bruins fans!
A Teaser: Not sure how much I can say, but I can tell you I am extremely excited for news that I believe is coming out this week, concerning a project I’m involved with. It’s going to be fantastic if you love this league like I do, so stay locked to the league’s social media!
On A Personal Note: I never take the fact that I get to watch, write, broadcast, etc about sports for work for granted, but I have to say it was extra special this past weekend to get back to calling games. I want to say that I really feel for every fan, broadcaster, and family member who desperately wants to have that great privilege to be in an arena to take in a live game. I am not big into metaphysics, but as much as I can, I am going to try to take your passion for the game with me into every rink I enter this year and beyond.