Vann Yuhas works the puck around Calgary Northstar Sabres defenceman Alexey Trischuk during the first period an Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League game with the South East Athletic Club Tigers at Hockey Hounds Arena on Sept. 29, 2018. -- NEWS FILE PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@mocranker
One of Medicine Hat’s brightest hockey stars has signed with a junior A club.
Vann Yuhas will be joining the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons next season to continue his career. The club announced Thursday that they had signed the Hat forward to a deal.
Yuhas says he is excited for the move to Drumheller.
“I’m happy and relieved,” he said. “It was my goal to play junior hockey so it feels really good to be able to do that.”
The Dragons have expressed interest in Yuhas for a while, and sent out a letter of intent more than a week ago.
“They’ve been talking with me for a while now, but it got really serious recently,” he said. “I took about a week to think it over and sleep on it. Then I came to the decision to sign with them.”
Yuhas had 54 points in 35 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes U16 squad last season, and added eight points in five playoff games. This season, with the SAHA U18 prep team, he has seven assists in six games.
“I’d say I’m a skilled player who can set guys up. I can play any of the forward positions,” he said. “I like to make plays, but I can score goals as well.”
Yuhas says he has big goals for his first season of junior A.
“I want to make a statement when I get there,” he said. “I want to get comfortable with my team, get used to the league and the town.
“I want to prove to the league that I deserve to be there.”
Yuhas will be turning 17 in a few weeks and says he wants to continue training hard before his next season.
“I want to work on my speed and my shot,” he said. “I’ve been working on my leg strength a lot lately and I want to get quicker feet.”
Yuhas’ SAHA coach, Brayden Desjardins says he will fit in well at the next level.
“He’s a special player,” he said. “Last year he was a 50/50 guy, but he’s really taken on a playmaking role with us.
“He’s one of the best passers I’ve seen. He’s super patient and can really slow the game down.
“He’s got a great IQ and he’s going to do great with Drumheller.”
