NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE SJHL
By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds
Welcome to August! That means Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League training camps will kick off very soon, and pre-season games are less than a month away! What a beautiful thing.
1. Top Forward? – Last week, I was at least somewhat confident that I would see Notre Dame’s Kyle Robinson emerge as the league’s top defender this year coming up; I am not at all comfortable to make such a statement about forwards. Guys like Brayden Camrud, Justin Ball, Carson Albrecht, Marshall Wilton, etc. are all gone, so it’s time for a new generation to grab that mantle up front, but it’s a little thin. Yorkton’s Chantz Petruic lit the league on fire a lot of last season, so if he’s back, he should dominate, despite what should be a much younger Terriers’ core in general. I was, and remain, all-in on the Loon-Stewardson brothers in Battlefords, with the younger 2000-born Quintin showing a little more flash than big bro Elijah; that said I would take either or both of those guys on my team in a split second. Petruic and La Ronge’s Zach Bannister are the only returnees to in the season coming up that were in the Top 25 in scoring a year ago, so I’d say Petruic is the safest bet to lead the SJ in that department in 19-20. I am a massive fan of Estevan’s Isaiah Thomas and Nipawin’s Jake Tremblay, so if those two explode I wouldn’t be surprised either. Can ND captain Jared Hamm shake off last year’s disappointing and injury riddled season, and cash in on that magnificent promise of his rookie campaign two years ago? We’ll see!
2. Ziegler Moves and Lester Comes Back – Speaking of Nipawin, they recently pulled off a three-way deal with Kindersley and old Klippers’ head coach Clayton Jardine’s new squad in Camrose. The Hawks got back forward Josh Lester from the Kodiaks, Kindersley grabbed smooth-skating defenceman Zach Ziegler, and I’m assuming Jardine got some cash. We’ll see who wins the deal, but Gary Childerhose needed to work on rebuilding the Klips’ D-corps, with a pretty set forward group ahead of it, so Ziegler is a nice start. I chatted with Gary a bit earlier this summer about his sneaky good pick-up of Mkyllan Couture from Weyburn in early June, so I’m liking the work he’s doing so far.
3. So Long Kunie! – Have to give my tip of the cap to Regina native Chris Kunitz, he of 1000+ NHL games, four Stanley Cups, and an Olympic Gold. The former Melville Millionaire retired at the age of 39, reaching his heights after two great seasons in the SJ, and making the show after going undrafted upon completion of his NCAA career at Ferris State University. Guy was always on winning teams, so you can say he rode the coattails of great players (see Crosby, Sidney and Getzlaf, Ryan) if you want, but I say it’s no coincidence that great players and great teams always wanted Chris on their side. What a wonderful career and pro.
4. The Regina Showcase Expands – The league did not make a big deal of it for some reason, but the 2020 Regina Showcase coming up in January has been rejigged. A new league has entered the fray as the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League will be represented, and all three associations (the SJ, and the Manitoba League have convened the last two years) will now send one 17-18 year olds team, and one 19-20 year olds squad, instead of the two veterans teams each as it was before. Nice to add fresh blood! A lot of people will go in expecting the NOJ team to be weaker, and that the SJ and MJ GMs will be looking at their squad as potential trade bait; but to underestimate them would be a big mistake. In my years in Ontario, the NOJ would send teams to the Central Canada tournament against those leagues, be taken lightly, and quite often caused all sorts of upsets due to their team ethic, and preparation (as well as underrated skill). Another rumour is that instead of three periods, the games at the Showcase will have two periods of 35 minutes each, which I’m not a fan of as I’ve been at plenty of summer/spring hockey events with that kind of format, and 35 minutes can feel like an eternity. Hopefully it doesn’t backfire. Either way, it’s been a great event since its inception, and I cannot wait for 2020!
5. Speaking of Ontario… – Was thinking how it’s great to see two Greater Toronto Area boys in Kyle Adams and Scott Barney get their interim tags removed, and settle in here in the SJ. The three of us are taking over! (Well, they are, at least!)
6. Adams Looking Far and Wide – The aforementioned Adams has been really creative in finding talent for his Melville Millionaires, recently adding the likes of forward Dalton Garcia from the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, defenceman Chris Lottridge out of the Philadelphia Jr Flyers and a native of Alaska, and Tanner Brown from southern Ontario’s very good Junior B loop and the very well-run St. Catherines Falcons organization. Talking to Kyle last year and a bit this off-season, he knows that the only way to get the Mils ship on the right course is to find a group of players who really want to be in Melville, and bringing in kids who are willing to come all the way here is a great start. Smart moves by Adams if you ask me, and underestimate the Mils at your peril this year coming up.
7. Waked Takes Off – The league’s goaltending situation became even more uncertain as Flin Flon’s believed incumbent starter Gabriel Waked has departed for the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League. Mike Reagan got a solid return for the ex-QMJHL net minder, netting skilled right shot 2001-born forward Bryce Anderson, a player with 61 BCHL games before his 18th birthday. The 2000-born Jacob Delorme had some very good games for the Bombers last year, but some pretty poor ones as well…so let’s chalk Flon’s goaltending situation, like much of the league right now, as TBD.
8. Watch Out For Focht! (bonus) – Really cool to see former Notre Dame bantam Carson Focht play so well at the World Junior Summer Showcase! The Calgary Hitmen forward out of Regina is a Vancouver Canucks pick, scored a goal and an assist, and proved himself capable of playing in any situation. Would be great to see him at the World Juniors this Christmas coming up, even if he’s a fifth-round pick.
9. Ex-Minto Set For Big Year in Brandon (bonus) – And speaking of former Sask minor hockey players thriving on a bigger stage, how about Brandon Wheat Kings defender and ex-PA Minto Braden Schneider, who was outstanding for Canada’s U18s last March as an underager, and has been rock solid at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup this summer as well. He’s not 18 until September, is a big, right-shot mobile defender…which is the catch phrase for what every hockey coach and GM wants these days.
10. Hard To Not Be Disappointed… (Bonus) – Looking at Team Canada’s training camp roster ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, it’s tough not to be disappointed with all the NBA names that either declined or are unable to attend, let alone to go to the World Cup. The event, to be held in China in September, will determine spots at the 2020 Olympics, and the only NBA players that will actually help try to get the country get there are Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher, and Khem Birch. The list of non-attendees are too long, and part of the blame is certainly on Canada Basketball for asking these millionaires to give six (yes, 6!!!) weeks of their time, including pre-tournament games in Canada and Australia, and the event itself. The Canadians have only a small shot with such tiny margins for error – they have to be one of the Top 2 teams from the Americas when the World Cup is done, and that includes the USA – so it’s too bad to see what I believe will be another chance for this so-called golden Canadian basketball generation go by the wayside.
(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)
