The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team opens its regular season on Friday in Wilcox against the Notre Dame Hounds. The two teams meet again Saturday for the Broncos’ home opener at the Elgar Petersen Arena.
“The fans can expect a hardworking team that is going to give a hundred and 10 per cent every night,” Humboldt head coach Scott Barney said. “We like to play an up-tempo game. Looking forward to a strong season here with our club. We’re really excited with the group we have.”
Last season Humboldt posted the SJHL’s best record at 5-1-0-0 before the campaign was halted and cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several players from that team have moved on and, as the upcoming season approaches, the Broncos staff continues to finetune the roster. Last week it brought in 19-year-old forward Connor Casparie from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Grande Prairie Storm. Barney said before last weekend’s games that the players are “making us make difficult decisions with the remaining cuts.”
While the roster was not settled at the Journal’s deadline, the Broncos look to have Logan Kurki, Justin Keck, Samuel Marburg, and Braiden Koran back at forward. Even with an influx of Western Hockey League players, Kurki paced the SJHL last season with 12 points in six games. He scored both of Humboldt’s goals in a 2-0 preseason win over Melfort on Saturday. Keck had three points in five exhibition games. Marburg played in two preseason games and scored in one. Koran wore a letter for the Broncos last season.
Up front the team has a number of new faces. In two preseason tilts, Alec Saretzky racked up three goals and four points. He paced the team in preseason goals and tied fellow newcomer Tyler Kutschinski for tops on the Broncos in points. Rookie Kyler Lewis had two goals in the preseason. Lewis, LeRoy’s Connor McGrath, and rookie Matthew Perkins all had two points in the preseason.
One forward who has impressed the coaching staff is Choiceland’s Landon Stromme. He entered fall camp as a darkhorse to make the roster. Thanks in part to his elite conditioning and work ethic, the Broncos announced his signing last week. Regarding the Broncos forward group, Barney said:
“I really like the depth we have right now. A lot of guys who bring a lot of speed and the work ethic is really high. With the few additions we’ve made here with [Rhett] Gibson and Casparie, we think we can play a strong, physical game both ways. We’ve got a lot of depth and we can put a good group together up front on any given night.”
Blue line play definitely looks to be a strength for the Broncos. The team will likely return Humboldt’s own Noah Barlage, fourth-year defender Kade Olsen, Cody Hough (five points in six games last season), Nicksha Eric (two assists in five preseason games), and Reilly McKinnon, who was with the squad last season but did not get a chance to play due to the pandemic. Chase Lacombe is eligible to return but has been in camp with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, who he played with last season after Humboldt’s season was halted.
“We’re really happy with our veteran D core,” Barney said. “We’ve got obviously some experience back there. … It’s a pretty deep core back there. The addition of Evers (Owen Evers, a 19-year-old Victoria, B.C. product) has been very good. Really like what he does – skates well, moves the puck.
“The biggest thing for us is defending and giving our goalies opportunity to stop the first one and not allowing teams to get that second shot opportunity.”
After two seasons away from the club, Rayce Ramsay returns to guard the Broncos’ crease. After a strong rookie season in 2018-19 in Humboldt, Ramsay joined the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers for the following campaign. He did not play last season due to the pandemic but has impressed in the SJHL preseason. Ramsay had two shutouts in three preseason games. He made 35 saves to shut out Melfort on Saturday. Barney said that Ramsay will be the team’s No. 1 goalie. Rookie Liam Stevens has won the backup spot after a strong preseason and training camp battle.
The Broncos last week
Preseason
Friday, Sept. 17 in Melfort
Melfort 6, Humboldt 1
Broncos Scorer: Lucas Ceccarelli
Melfort Scorers: Curtis Hammond, Tye Evans, Max Henderson, Zac Somers, Max Mills
Goalies: Kenny Gerow, Humboldt, 5 saves on 8 shots; Liam Stevens, Humboldt, 12 on 15; Joel Favreau, Melfort, 33 on 34
Notes: Melfort led 1-0 and 3-0 at the intermissions. Humboldt was 0-for-8 on the powerplay. Melfort was 1-for-6.
Preseason
Saturday, Sept. 18 in Humboldt
Humboldt 2, Melfort 0
Broncos Scorers: Logan Kurki
Goalies: Rayce Ramsay, Humboldt, 35 saves on 35 shots; Steven Bacovsky, Melfort, 26 on 28
Notes: Kurki scored in the first period at even strength and added a powerplay goal in the second.
This Week
After a 4-2-0-0 preseason, the Humboldt Broncos open their regular season Friday on the road in Wilcox against the Notre Dame Hounds. The team’s home opener is on Saturday against the Hounds. On Sept. 29, the Broncos host the Melville Millionaires.
Casparie Added
The Broncos acquired 19-year-old forward Connor Casparie from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Grande Prairie Storm for a player development fee. He played 11 games last season in the AJHL. Before that Casparie had 11 goals, 22 points, and 172 penalty minutes in 45 games for the Junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers in 2019-20.
