NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE SJHL

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

McGarva joins Max: Two 20-year-olds committed to NCAA Division III’s Concordia University of Wisconsin this past week as La Ronge net minder Liam McGarva, and Notre Dame forward Max Messier both made the move. McGarva joined the Wolves last year out of a powerhouse Revelstoke B.C. Jr B club, and promptly won 23 games en route to a Sherwood Division Goaltender of the Year Award. Messier split time between four leagues over his junior career, after graduating from the College of Notre Dame in 2018. He was off to a solid start with the Hounds Junior A, but the energy man will be heading straight south come the new year to join Concordia. I have not heard whether McGarva plans to make the same jump, but either way, it’s always a good day when kids get committed!
Sim stuff soon?: Can’t say too much just yet, but I understand some form of SJ Simulation on NHL 21 is coming soon! Stay tuned for more information on the league’s social media! It’ll be awesome, just like the playoffs were last summer; though of course, no replacement for the real game.
SJ connects at the WJC: Bunch of connections on World Junior rosters with SJHLers past and present. Sask boys Kaedan Korczak, Connor Zary, and Braden Schneider played with current WHL loaners in the SJ (among others) like Eric Pearce, Alex Moar, Blake Allan, and Jayden Dureau on Team Saskatchewan’s U16 club years ago, and have relationships with a host of boys around our league (Sask Hockey is a small, small world). Flin Flon Bombers regular Zach Huber played with Kirby Dach on the Saskatoon Blades, while recent Bomber Tristan Lemyre is teammates with American defender Henry Thrun on Dubuque in the USHL. The minor hockey connections in Sasky with Korczak, Zary, Schneider, and current SJHLers are many, but at any rate it’s always great to see boys from our province get the call!
Thrilled for Nolan: I thought it would be worthwhile to check in on a couple ex-SJ kids in the USHL. One who is really finding his way is former ND Hound (and Telus Cup champ) Nolan Renwick, an ’01 centreman committed to Maine. Renny is already a point under what he hit last year in 40 games, through only 11 contests this time around. Those that watched Nolan come up in Wilcox, and as a rookie in the SJ aren’t even a tiny bit surprised he’s finding success, as the Milestone product is an incredible human being, an extremely hard worker, and an excellent hockey player.
SJ reunion in Roch-Vegas: I mentioned last week that Humboldt captain Doug Scott has committed to D1 NCAA’s Rochester Institute of Technology, and deservedly so! The cool thing about RIT from an SJ perspective is with Scott, the Tigers could have five alumni from our league in the line-up next year! Goaltender Kolby Matthews (Battlefords), defencemen Regan Seiferling (Yorkton) and Calvon Boots (Flin Flon), and forward Caleb Moretz (Flin Flon) are already there, so it’s great to get that extra confirmation that eyes are on the SJHL.
Gotta mention Ozar: Owen Ozar of P.A. might have only played one game for Flin Flon back in 2017-18, but he’s off to a very strong start in the USHL with Waterloo. The one-time Bomber first-rounder, and Swift Current U18, is a real shooter, racking up big numbers last year with Trail in the BCHL. He recently committed to a great program at the University of Denver; another talented Sask boy heading to a great spot!
Big night for Tristan: Speaking of Denver commits, and ex-Flin Flon Bombers, Tristan Lemyre had a night to remember on Sunday night for his Dubuque Fighting Saints. Last season’s SJ Rookie of the Year with electric speed and hockey sense scored two goals, including the game-tying marker early in the third, and added an assist in an epic 6–5 win for his Saints in Plymouth, Michigan, on the road vs. the US U-18 National Team. It has been an adjustment for Lemyre so far in the U-Show, so hopefully the big night, which puts his season point-total at seven, launches him to greater consistency moving forward. I have no concern for Tristan; his speed and skill are ‘Denver’ calibre.
Feeling for Ontario: Really feel for my buds playing Junior A in Ontario, as they have been completely shut down like the rest of my home province. Many out there that I have spoken with, including a general manager, feel like there is no chance any Junior A will come back there for any more of a 2020-2021 season. I should note, they haven’t had any regular season at all, just pre-season mini-series’, so that’s extra tough, especially for the 20-year-olds still looking to earn spots in post-secondary.
Covid numbers good? I’m no expert, but it does feel like our provincial government’s relatively draconian measures are paying off to some degree, and that Covid numbers are slowly getting better. It’s hard to know what number of new cases-per-day would make Dr. Shahab happy enough to give us our hockey back, but at least we’re trending in the right direction. One SJHL governor I spoke with guessed that the earliest the league could feasibly (logistically, with scheduling, travel, et al) come back is the weekend of Feb. 5, if everything goes absolutely perfect. Here’s hoping!
Merry Christmas/Happy New Year: Just want to thank you all for reading my column in 2020! Every one of you that clicks on my stuff means so much to me; you have no idea how encouraging it is when Rod tells me whatever number of people read (whether it’s one person or 100,000!). I also truly appreciate Rod having me on this website. If you’re here, you’re probably a fan of Rod Pedersen the sports broadcaster; but let me tell you, he is as genuine and kind of a person and friend as anyone I’ve met. If you think he’s a good dude from what you’ve seen on TV or heard on radio, you’re right. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and/or whatever holiday you hold dear!