What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
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Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
With just over two months to go before the Canada Winter Games, Team Saskatchewan has named its men’s hockey team, which includes a number of players from the Saskatoon Blazers.
Seven players from the U18 AAA hockey club will wear the green and yellow in Prince Edward Island during the games, which run from Feb. 18 to Mar. 5.
The Blazers players representing Saskatchewan are defencemen Emerson Clark, Reese Hamilton and Brayden Smith, and forwards Corban Almen, Kash Andresen, Cole Reschny and Lee Shurgot.
The strong representation from the Saskatoon team may not come as a surprise to the hockey community, as the Blazers are sitting at the top of the league standings with a 22-2-0-2 record.
Team Saskatchewan head coach Ryan McDonald, who also serves as assistant coach to the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, said it helps that the team has built its chemistry so far this season.
“Familiarity is always important,” McDonald said. “I think we looked for skilled players, but also we have a lot of depth on this team.”
The players agreed, saying they know that they won’t have to go through major adjustments while adapting to an entirely new roster.
“Obviously it helps playing together this whole year and then going to play with Team Saskatchewan,” said Reese Hamilton. “I’m a defenceman, so I have a couple of other D-partners that are going to be going with me, and if I happen to be paired up with them I think it’s going to be great.”
“It’s going to help a lot,” added forward Emerson Clark. “That will definitely give us a deeper team.”
While they will have the comfort of familiar faces, they will also be playing in a new rink all the way on the East Coast.
“I think that’s a really unique experience in itself, going all the way to PEI to play some hockey and getting to play against other teams from all over Canada is pretty cool,” forward Lee Shurgot said.
While the tournament is pulling them away from their club team for two weeks, it does give the players the chance to showcase their skills on a big stage.
“Just use this as a stepping stone and trying to help (myself) get to the next level,” said forward Cole Reschny.
The players will have a lot of support from friends, families and coaches as they head out east.
“My brother Reid, he plays for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL,” forward Kash Andresen said. “He shows me a lot. He teaches me throughout my whole career, and I kind of just try to follow after him and try and follow his footsteps.
“When he watches my games and I watch his games, we just give a little bit of feedback to each other.”
Having seven players from the same team is quite the accomplishment for any provincial team, but Blazers head coach Scott Scissons said it could’ve been more. Even still, he said he’s pleased to see so many of his players on the roster.
“They’ve done their work and they deserve to be going, so I’m proud of them,” Scissons said, adding that he’s had lots of support from the rest of the Blazers’ coaching staff.
While it’s an honour just to make the team, the players were already eager to get out there and bring back a gold medal.
“There’s no other reason why we go there,” Reese Hamilton said. “I’m excited to go there, and hopefully we get a win out of it.”
The Blazers weren’t the only players hailing from a Saskatoon team; Logan Edmonstone from the Saskatoon Contacts was also named to Team Saskatchewan.