NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE SJHL

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

1. Bubble Update: All we still really know right now is that the government has been given a plan, for a bubble or bubbles, in one or two SJHL market(s), by the Return to Play Committee, and that work is being done between the league, and Premier Moe’s people. Nobody knows how close or how far away the government is to approving it, and therefore nobody knows how close the league’s Board of Governors are to giving it their go-ahead. I cannot give too many specifics right now unfortunately, as there are so many balls in the air on details, I just know there are some people still working very hard to try to get this going. Will it happen? Well, it all comes down to the almighty dollar.
2. I’ll Be Honest: Call me a romantic if you want, or maybe an idealist, but I still think that even though it isn’t my money on the table, it would be a real shame if the SJHL had to completely pull the plug on 20-21. I can tell you Bill Chow, Logan Fraser, the committee, and many others are trying very, very hard!
3. Prospal…What A Kid: Humboldt Broncos Voice Rory McGouran and I had Melfort Mustangs’ captain Vinny Prospal Jr. – the son of 1,100+ NHL Games Played vet Vaclav Prospal – on the SJ at Noon Show this past Monday, and I have to say: what a class act! You talk to guys who had long NHL careers, and while they are all obviously incredible hockey players, it always strikes me how they tend to be such generous, warm people; I guess part of sticking around a long time is that you usually need to be the type of person people want around a long time too. Clearly Prospal raised his kid the same way, and it wasn’t a surprise to me that despite only being in Melfort a short time, Vinny made his mark. He was just starting to hit his stride to start this year too, and with that profile could easily be an NCAA player! Just hope the 2000 birthyear gets another couple chances to impress those scouts!
4. Couple Hounds Find Spots: The biggest movers (all in the ‘outward’ direction) at the Trade Deadline were the Notre Dame Hounds, as head coach/GM Brett Pilkington found spots for the Stuckless brothers, and Zack Whittaker. Ethan (2000) and Andrew (2002) Stuckless were sent to Grand Rapids in the Maritime Junior A league, though the Maritimes are having its own issues now with the pandemic, and potential hockey stoppage. Hope that isn’t the case, and the bros get a full chance to play, of course! Whittaker, a 2001-born defenceman, was dealt to the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, which seems like a great place to go right now, as all is set to go there March 12 with travel hockey (but no fans). Alberta, by the way, has had the WHL already start without a hitch, and will have Junior A too. Not just saying this though: all three of those guys are outstanding young men, and I’ll definitely miss each of them quite a lot.
5. Krahn Moves On: Melville Millionaire Jonathan Krahn is heading home. Krahn is from Chilliwack, so it was a great job by Mils head coach/GM Mike Rooney to send the centreman to his hometown Chiefs. Chilliwack is also where Kyle Adams, the man who brought him to the Mils in the first place, was an assistant to current Estevan Bruins’ boss Jason Tatarnic; so there’s a little link. What an awesome organization they have there in the Fraser Valley of B.C.! Krahn scored 15 goals and added 15 assists over 46 games in his time at the Horizon Credit Union Centre.
6. Big Mil Heads Home: Speaking of homecomings, the Mils also sent Kaleb McEachern back to where he came from before last Thursday’s trade deadline. The big 2001-born goaltender was dealt to the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, his hometown club that he made out of camp in 19-20, but was sent to Melville soon after. I liked the potential I saw in him early last season, but he was outdone by SJHL Goaltender of the Year Berk Berkeliev, and never fully found his stride here in Sask. Hope he gets a good shot at it for the mighty Vees!
7. Paulhus Up: Speaking of getting a good shot, it looks like La Ronge Ice Wolves’ forward Josh Paulhus will get one with the Saskatoon Blades. Paulhus’ rights were only recently transferred from the Regina Pats to the Toon, but the former Humboldt Broncos’, and Saskatoon Contacts’ grinder had the benefit of three games with the provincial capital’s team a year ago. It’ll be up to him to earn his ice time with Mitch Love’s club on the rise. Love to see Sask boys get any shot (Paulhus is from Saskatoon).
8. Personal News: I do have some personal news: I have joined the DUBNetwork website to cover the Moose Jaw Warriors! I paid pretty close attention to Sask U18 hockey last year and to start this, and so I have a head start in familiarity with a few of the guys they have brought in from there. That being said, I am working hard, and having numerous conversations with those in and outside of the club to get to know their roster. Please check my work out there! So many people have reached out about it, and it’s always a very pleasant surprise to me when people are paying attention to what I do! Really appreciate all of you who check out my work wherever I do it.
9. Bedard’s Foil?: There are a number of fascinating storylines heading into the Hub in general, but whether fairly or not, the biggest pressure load will no doubt be on Regina’s exceptional ‘Wonder Boy’ Connor Bedard (the first player granted full exceptional status as a 15-year-old in Western Hockey League history, if you didn’t know). As someone on the Warriors’ beat, one story I’ll be following closely is how Moose Jaw’s response to Bedard does: the only recently-turned 16-year-old Brayden Yager, whom the Warriors took third overall in the same draft as Bedard. Yager is a real shooter from Saskatoon, who is used to being heavily relied on out of his hometown Contacts U18s. That all being said, from listening to the MJ brass, it looks like he we will have to earn every minute of ice he gets in the Hub. Cannot wait to keep an eye on the Yager vs Bedard storyline over the next couple years!
10. Hunt-ing For Respect: The overall outlook for the Warriors at the Hub is truly that they are looking to take another step in their rebuild from last years’ struggles, and expecting to value development without sacrificing competition. That doesn’t mean they don’t have their big dogs, and few in the WHL are more important to their club than Captain Daemon Hunt is to Moose Jaw. The defenceman, who won’t turn 19 until May, already has three games of pro experience under his belt with the Iowa Wild, and looks to play big minutes at the Hub. He also should have some extra-fresh legs after missing three months last year with a forearm injury. On a struggling young Warriors club last year, Hunt still was over a half-point-per-game as a defenceman, so he projects to be as elite as any Dman in the WHL this March/April.

 (Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)