Cubs thinking positive as the junior B regular season begins

By Sean Rooney on September 21, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

For a team that hasn’t had a winning record in three years, just making the playoffs could be the goal for the Medicine Hat Cubs.

It is.

But after an off-season marked by change and an unbeaten pre-season, the junior B hockey team enters the regular season this weekend cautiously optimistic to add some loftier items to the list.

“Playoffs is definitely going to be a goal of ours,” said third-year head coach JD Gaetan. “We made it last year by default essentially. Early on, we do have a team that can compete for the South championship.”

With double the number of players at training camp compared to a year ago, the Cubs had some tough calls to make, especially in goal where four players all could’ve done well according to the coach. They’ll go with 18-year-old Saskatchewan netminder Brett Vanderveer in Saturday’s opener at Ponoka; 17-year-old Teron Funk of Whitecourt earned the backup role and affiliate 17-year-old Dawson Savage of Medicine Hat will also see time between the pipes.

Four of the eight returnees earned letters, with centre Quinten Karg and winger Mackenzie Fritzler named captains, plus defenceman Tavin Stadnicki and forward Tristan Stensrud the alternates.

“We’re down to 23 right now, which is going to be our roster at least until December,” said Gaetan. “It’s a really positive group, our leadership group has been great in the room and on the ice, in the community. We’re going to try to keep that going in the right direction.”

In past seasons the weekend’s games of Ponoka Saturday and Stettler Sunday could’ve been looked at as hopeful points, certainly a split possibility.

This time, Gaetan would be disappointed if his crew doesn’t win both and head into the home opener next weekend against reigning division champion Coaldale with a 2-0 record.

“We have a lot of speed, especially our rookies,” he said. “I think we’re probably going to be an in-your-face team, no quit. We have a really solid D corps, I’m looking forward to watching them this year.”

Coming from behind to beat Assiniboia 6-5 at the Kinplex Sunday to close a 3-0 exhibition weekend may not have seemed like much, but it’s the exact opposite of what recent Cubs teams did at all times of the year. The team’s mindset changed with the addition of ex-coach Dave Kowalchuk as general manager, not to mention the work that’s been done behind the scenes by the entire organization to get more skill onto the ice.

“It’s definitely a nice change of pace,” said Gaetan. “We have a group of kids that want to be in Medicine Hat playing hockey, they want to give it their all.

“They’re here to win and we’re seeing that already, just from the practices we’ve been having, the games last weekend. It’s a group of guys that are determined to do something this year, make a name for themselves.”

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