NEWS PHOTOS RYAN MCCRACKEN Medicine Hat Cubs and Southern Division forward Levi Schlosser patrols the neutral zone during the Heritage Junior Hockey League top prospects game against the Northern Division on Sunday at the Kinplex.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
The Heritage Junior Hockey League put its best foot forward on Sunday afternoon at the Kinplex.
With scouts from various levels of hockey joining hundreds of fans in the stands, the HJHL showcased its top talent in a third consecutive all-star game while presenting an entirely new addition in the form of a top prospects game.
“This is a way for us to profile our league,” said HJHL vice president John Lockhart. “To show some young men out there that this is a good place to play, that junior B is not a bad place to be if you want to keep your hockey going.”
The Southern Division picked up a 7-3 victory over their Northern counterparts, but Lockhart says the real victory came in the way of exposure.
“We’re getting that visibility,” he said. “The more profiling we can get for junior B players, to show that it’s a good quality program – it’s not the old jungle B as it used to be called, it’s good quality. Most hockey programs across Canada look at the Heritage League as one of the first- or second-best junior B programs in Canada. We try to do the right thing to help kids grow as young men.”
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The host Medicine Hat Cubs played a big hand in creating and introducing the top prospects game. General manager Dave Kowalchuk says the Cubs, as well as the HJHL, have been working toward a developmental identity and the top prospects game goes a long way in helping provide a path for players to reach a higher level of hockey.
“Richard (Fritzler, Cubs president) and myself, with the league meetings, we really pushed (for the prospects game),” said Kowalchuk. “I know Cochrane backed us on a lot of things. They’re kind of in the same boat as us, we’re trying to become a developmental team so we want to showcase our younger talent.
“Cochrane tried to host a showcase this year, like a lot of other leagues do, but unfortunately as a league we didn’t do it. So my suggestion was that we did a top prospects game in lieu of not having a showcase. That’s why we had this today and I think it went well.”
The all-star game returned to the HJHL two seasons ago following a 20-year hiatus. Lockhart says the decision to bring it back was based on a long-term development plan for the league and its personnel, and it’s been bringing out the best the league has to offer – especially when coupled with the top prospects game.
“As part of our long-term plans, about 10 years ago we started to rebuild what junior B hockey was – changing our suspension programs internally, working with Hockey Alberta, putting in better policies and putting more emphasis with our teams and what their responsibilities are to develop kids, not just as hockey players but as young men,” said Lockhart. “How do we give these kids some recognition? That’s where three years ago we went back to the all-star game. Now it’s, ‘How do we profile those 18- and 17-year-olds?'”
The afternoon featured scouts from junior A leagues across Western Canada, as well as a few from some NCAA schools like Montana State University-Northern in Havre.
“We’re starting a brand new college team down there at Montana State University-Northern, in Havre, so I’ve been doing a lot of recruiting this season,” said MSU-N scout Jeff Krissek, adding he circled a number of names with potential to thrive at the school’s American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 program and beyond. “I flagged about 10-to-12 kids that I would definitely be interested in talking to, as well as – not going to lie – there are a couple of kids I flagged who are going to be getting talked to by programs that are more well established than I have to offer right now.”
Cubs goaltender Dawsen Savage – an 18-year-old Medicine Hat product who started for the Southern Division prospects Sunday – says it was a great experience to share with his three teammates in action, and getting to showcase his abilities in front of some scouts was a welcome bonus.
“It’s awesome. It gives me a great opportunity, and same with the rest of the players,” said Savage, who competed on the Southern Division squad with teammates Brandon Hauck, Levi Schlosser and Cooper Hilworth. “I think all of us getting to do it together made the whole experience better.”
Hauck picked up an assist for the Southern Division in the 7-3 victory, while Okotoks Bisons forward Dylan Wenzel led the squad to the victory with a two-goal performance.
Cochrane Generals Dean Olenyk and Patrick Forde each had a goal and an assist, while Strathmore Wheatland Kings blueliner Chase Clayton added a pair of helpers. Coaldale Copperheads defenceman Kaden Booth, High River Flyers blueliner Dean Burns and Strathmore forward Cade Jackson each added individual tallies in the Southern victory.
Savage stopped 22 of 25 shots through the first half of the game, then High River’s Ethan Barrows closed out the victory with 14 straight saves.
“It was fun, a good experience,” said Savage. “I think everyone had a great time out here today.”
Sylvan Lake Wranglers netminder Cam Loomis-Labrosse was beaten four times on 11 shots through the first half in the Northern crease, then Logan Goofers of the Rocky Rams stopped 16 of 19 down the stretch.
Rams forward Riley McKain led the Northern prospects with a goal and an assist in the loss, while Stettler Lightning forward Rhett Shingoose added a pair of helpers. Red Deer Vipers forward Cole Hardman and Mountainview Colts forward Carter Layden rounded out the scoring for the Northern Division.
