Victories and moving players onto the next level are two areas on which junior hockey teams are measured.
Early this season the Humboldt Broncos are succeeding in both of those categories. The squad enters this week with a perfect 8-0-0-0 record. The Broncos’ 16 points put them second in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League standings, just behind the Battlefords North Stars’ 20 (16-0-0-0). As well, last week it was announced that Broncos 16-year-old defenceman Carsten Kayter had committed to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, an NCAA Division I school. His commitment is the SJHL’s first at that level this season. He has played a role in the Broncos’ strong start. What has made the team successful?
“I believe our consistency in our shift-to-shift play and being relentless,” Humboldt head coach Scott Barney said. “Winning with 20 guys every night.”
The Broncos boast eight of the SJHL’s top 40 scorers. Kayter is one of the young players contributing for Humboldt. He has a goal and seven points in eight games.
“We’re very proud of Carsten with his commitment,” Broncos head coach Scott Barney said. “Our biggest goal every year is to develop players and if we can do that winning will be a byproduct of it. The more we do that the more commitments we will receive.”
He explained that UNO watched Kayter in exhibition action this season and again at the SJHL Showcase in Warman. The Mavericks last made the national tournament in 2021. Among its alumni are forward Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburg Penguins and defencemen Nick Seeler of the Philadelphia Flyers and the San Jose Shark’s Jaycob Megna.
“They have developed and moved many defenceman onto the pro level and that is what Carsten aspires to do as well,” Barney said. “We are very happy to continue his development in Humboldt.”
Last week the team traded 18-year-old forward Jack Piper to his home province’s Pembroke Lumber Kings for a player development fee. He recorded an assist in six games for Humboldt.
The Broncos host the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Tuesday. The team heads to Nipawin on Friday before returning home to play Melville on Saturday.
La Ronge Ice Wolves (4-4-1-0)
Last Tuesday the Ice Wolves fell 6-3 at home to the Battlefords North Stars. Both teams recorded 40 shots. La Ronge killed off all five of the North Stars’ powerplays while scoring on two of their eight-man advantage opportunities.
At home last Friday, the Ice Wolves rolled to a 7-2 win over Melfort. The host squad used two power play goals to help it outscore the Mustangs, 4-2, in the first period. One of Melfort’s goals came shorthanded. After a scoreless second sessions, La Ronge added two goals in the third. Ryley Morgan (2), Ethan Strik, Thomas Wright, Trenton Curtis, Sage Roberts, and Walker Jerome scored for the Ice Wolves. La Ronge goalie Dawson Smith made 22 saves.
The Ice Wolves start a four-game road trip in Humboldt on Tuesday. They are in Yorkton on Wednesday. The Ice Wolves take on Melville on the road on Friday. They are back in Yorkton for a Saturday tilt.
Kindersley Klippers (1-5-0-2)
On the weekend, the Klippers were shutout twice in Flin Flon. Both times by 4-0 scores.
Logan Falk had 50 saves for Kindersley on Friday and 48 on Saturday.
Klippers’ fans will get the chance to see a lot of their favourite team during the month of October. The squad opens a six-game homestand on Friday when the Estevan Bruins visit. The Melfort Mustangs are in town on Saturday.
Melville Millionaires (4-3-1-1)
The Millionaires sent its 608 fans in attendance home happy last Tuesday with a 2-1 overtime victory against the Melfort Mustangs. Nathan Fox was the overtime hero for the hosts with his first SJHL goal. Melfort had led 1-0 at the intermissions. Noah Wills knotted the contest in the third period. Millionaires netminder Kelton Pyne turned 25 of the 26 shots he faced.
On Friday, the 1,148 fans in attendance at the Horizon Credit Union Centre saw some extra hockey as the Millionaires fell 5-4 to Yorkton in a shootout. None of the three Millionaires shooters scored in the shootout, while Karsten Kruska was able to find the back of the net for the Terriers. Melville rallied from a 2-0 first period deficit and being down 3-2 in the second to tie things up at 4-4 in the third. Scoring for Melville were Zach Cain (2), Brayden Fryfogle and Wills.
On the road Saturday, the Millionaires shut out the Yorkton Terriers, 2-0. Clement Labillois stopped all 29 shots he saw for Melville. Captain Cain and Nicolas Samson has the Millionaires’ markers.
Melville traded Loik Plouffe to his hometown Gatineau (Que.) Flames (QJHL) for a player development fee. The defenceman had not played in a regular season game for Melville.
The Melville squad hosts the Flin Flon Bombers on Tuesday. The Ice Wolves visit on Friday, while the Millionaires are in Humboldt on Saturday.
Notre Dame Hounds (2-6-0-1)
Last Tuesday, the Hounds picked up a point in the standings in a 3-2 shootout loss at home to the Estevan Bruins. The Bruins got out to a 1-0 first period lead, but Notre Dame equalized in the second on an Evan Vanden Heuvel powerplay marker. Estevan’s Kade Runke, with the man advantage, scored his second of the night to put the Bruins on top 2-1 before the end of the frame. Hounds forward Will Dawson’s seventh of the season tied the game in the final few seconds. Logan Ziegler of the Bruins was the lone shooter out of 10 to score. Tucker Inabinet stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced for Notre Dame. The Hounds sent 45 shots at Estevan’s Cam Hrdlicka.
The next night Notre Dame fell 5-2 to Nipawin at home. The Hawks led 3-1 and 4-2 at the intermissions.
The Hounds conclude a four-game homestand this week by hosting Melfort on Tuesday and Flin Flon on Saturday.
Battlefords North Stars (10-0-0-0)
It’s home sweet home for the Battlefords team for a while. After a road game on Tuesday, the North Stars kicked off an eight-game homestand on Friday.
In that one road tilt last week, the North Stars beat the La Ronge Ice Wolves, 6-3. Steven Kesslering scored twice for Battlefords. Also scoring for the North Stars were Jordan Gibbs, Holden Doell, Kian Bell, and Kobie Anderson. Josh Kotai backstopped Battlesfords to the win win 37 saves.
A powerplay marker in the first period and another in the second powered the North Stars past the Weyburn Red Wings, 2-1, at home last Friday. Bell and Keiton Klein did the scoring while Justen Maric turned away 39 of the 40 shots he faced.
The North Stars wrapped up the week with a 7-1 romp over Weyburn at home. Battlefords was 3-for-5 on the powerplay while negating all three of Weyburn’s opportunities. The North Stars led 1-0 and 3-1 at the intermissions before exploding for four goals in the third. Holden Doell lit the lamp twice for Batlefords, while Easton Rask, Riley Girod, Jake Southgate, Klein and Bell all scored once. Kotai had 28 saves.
The home games continue this week for the North Stars. They host Melfort on Friday and Estevan on Saturday.
Melfort Mustangs (3-4-4-0)
In a 2-1 overtime loss to Melville last Tuesday, the Mustangs earned a point in the standings. Dawson Leroux put Melfort up 1-0 just before the end of the first period. The hosts tied things up in the third before Nathan Fox scored the winning goal. Melfort netminder Joel Favreau made 32 saves.
The Mustangs fell 7-2 to La Ronge on the road last Friday. The Ice Wolves had two powerplay goals en route to a 4-2 first period lead. One of Melfort’s goals came shorthanded. La Ronge added two more goals in the third.
Melfort earned another standings point in a 3-2 overtime loss to Estevan on Saturday. Wyatt Day put Melfort up 1-0 in the first period. Estevan tied things up in the second. In the third, Ashton Taylor put the Mustangs on top, 2-1, but Estevan answered again. Bruin Kade Runke scored the overtime winner. Favreau had 31 saves.
The Mustangs are on the road this week. They play in Wilcox against Notre Dame on Tuesday, take on Battlefords on Friday, and visit Kindersley Saturday.
Nipawin Hawks (4-5-1-1)
With two goals by Maguire Ratzlaff and one from Alex Ochitwa, the Hawks took a 3-1 first period lead last Wednesday in Wilcox against the Notre Dame Hounds. While Notre Dame’s Sam Kroon scored his second of the night in the second period, Nipawin home grown rookie Finley Radloff matched it. Reese Malkewich lit the lamp for the Hawks in the third to cap the scoring and his team a 5-2 victory. Reid Lalonde made 28 saves for Nipawin while the Hawks outshot the Hounds 43-30.
The next night the Hawks earned a point in the standings with a 3-2 shootout loss to Weyburn. The host Red Wings took a 1-0 first period lead. The Hawks went up 2-1 in the second on goals by Rylan Lefebvre and Joel Mabin. Weyburn knotted things up in the third. After a scoreless overtime session, Weyburn had four goals in the shootout while Nipawin managed 3. Scoring for the Hawks in the shootout were Ochitwa, Ratzlaff, and Alex Johnson. Nipawin goalie Reid Lalonde had 25 saves on the night.
The Hawks added 18-year-old defenceman Tre Fouquette to their lineip last week after he was reassigned from the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders. He got into three games for the Raiders this season. Fouquette split last season between Nipawin and La Ronge.
The Nipawin team is in Yorkton on Tuesday night. The Hawks are home to host Humboldt on Friday
