NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE SJHL

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

I, and many people far more eloquent with pen and voice, have typed, written, and spoke till we’re blue in the face about all the feelings, and angles concerning the shutdown of the game in our province, and elsewhere. So, I don’t want to do that too much.

All I will say about it is that as far as I know, we as the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, with all the players, staff, and connections had two Covid cases (2!!!!) since starting camp in early September. That’s three months, two cases, and WE get shut down, lumped in with minor, and senior hockey, and even worse, things like Bingo Halls, while casinos and bars are allowed to stay open. Nobody ever honestly expects governments (or their agencies) to be fair, yet somehow we still expect it of them, and get angry when they aren’t … anyways, I am going back on my word here, so let’s get back on course.

What I thought I’d do instead was actually talk a bit of hockey while it’s somewhat fresh in the mind, and highlight one player from each of the 12 teams in the league who impressed me. There are more than these 12, of course, and I’m not saying these 12 guys are necessarily the best players on their respective teams.

So here goes, in order of the standings when we shut down (as much as that means almost nothing):

12. Riley Little, D, Battlefords North Stars: It must have been a strange adjustment going from an all-world Saskatoon Blazers U18 team in 2018-19, to a rebuilder in Weyburn last year. Yet, that same good first pass, the same smart physicality, work ethic, and energy that saw the Regina Pats pick the Saskatoon-native back in 2016 has resurfaced right away for the Stars since he was grabbed from Wayway in the Manitoba League in late October. He already has a goal for the Stars in the three games they’ve played, and I messaged their Coach/GM Brayden Klimosko right away after they acquired him that it was as sneaky good a pickup as any in the off-season. I’ve been high on him since midget.

11. Hayden Clayton, F, Flin Flon Bombers: I was thinking more along the lines of the pre-season for the Bombers, since what regular season there was was a nightmare for Mike Reagan’s team, one that had to deal with the fear of imminent relocation or shutdown from the start. Clayton was at best solid while buried behind an avalanche of talented forwards for the Bombers last year, but the glimpses the mammoth long-time Whitecourt Wolverine (Alberta Junior League) showed when he was given the ice time was really impressive. He had three goals in three pre-season contests for the Bombers, and if we ever get back to it, I expect a big year from the 20-year-old.

10. Matthew Rathbone, F, Weyburn Red Wings: The ’01 out of Alberta had a monster season last year, albeit in the largely uncharted Western States Hockey League, but he plays with pace, with energy, and could’ve had a bunch of points in the first game of the year vs. Notre Dame if the bounces had gone his way. I love a guy who’s constantly in the mix in all three zones, and so far, you have to think his coach Rich Pilon is happy with what he’s gotten from him. Have to mention that Shayde Peterson and new captain Dante Ballarin have also taken enormous steps forward, but I went with a guy about whom I had no idea before I saw him. More than the one point he has to date are on the way!

9. Connor Nolan, F, Notre Dame Hounds: Lots of people say that they have that sportism known as the ‘chip on the shoulder’, but I can’t think of too many people who walk that talk like Nolan has so far this year. I could say there are a lot of ND kids that have impressed me, but his growth from last year in the footspeed department is real, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player go as hard as he does every single shift he’s out there. It’s a real treat to watch a kid play every shift like it’s his last, and while I expect he’ll be a blue-paint goal specialist when he gets his markers (I mean that as absolutely no disrespect, just means he goes to the right spots), he scored a beautiful snipe off the face-off in Humboldt on Oct. 21. What an excellent human being as well.

8. Joel Favreau, G, Melfort Mustangs: Filling the skates of Shawn Parkinson was never going to be easy for anyone, but to think this guy wasn’t drafted by anyone (or even listed until relatively recently, I hear) is crazy. Three goals-against on 54 shots over 120 minutes means he has sexy, sexy numbers in a small sample size, and Trevor Blevins’ crew has an excellent-if-underappreciated D-Corps, but still, big kudos to the rookie straight out of the P.A. Mintos. The Mustangs supposedly brought in Steven Bacovsky from Kindersley to take the net, but so far Favreau has said “not so fast!”. He was fantastic in the pre-season too, by the way.

7. Mark Snarr, D, Kindersley Klippers: Broadcasters and fans are obsessed with points, and while it’s easy to write the Calgarian’s year last season off because he literally only had one in 51 games, how about we talk about the fact that his coach then Larry Wintoneak kept him in for 51 games, and his current boss, Ken Plaquin, has him on the top pairing with Michael Neumeier? Not only does he already have an assist in three games this year, but Snarr is simply a solid, steady kid who blocks shots, doesn’t make mistakes, and kills penalties at an extremely high level. He’ll keep it simple and allow Neumeier dominate his way to what should be a D1 scholarship, but in the meantime Plaquin is extremely astute in my opinion to give Snarr a good role on this workmanlike, stingy club. Also have to tip my cap to Matt Pesenti, who has been spectacular so far in net as well after a tough playoff last year for Yorkton. I love a good steady eddy, and Snarr is a really good one.

To Be Continued!

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)