ESTEVAN - The preseason is over and the countdown is on for the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins' first game of the 2024-25 regular season.
The Bruins will open the regular season on Sept. 20, when they host the Melville Millionaires at 7 p.m. for the annual season-opening home and home. The two teams will meet the following night in Melville.
"We want to play a certain way, and I think we went after players we think can play that way, so we're crossing our fingers and hope they can," said head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic.
The club has just four returning players from last season: forwards Cade Kennedy and Brady Wilson, and defencemen Kaelen Whittingham and Owen Simmonds. Kennedy has been named the team's captain.
In addition to the eight players who graduated from last year's club, several other players aren't back. Goaltender and local product Jackson Miller was dealt to the Swan Valley Stampeders of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League to complete the future considerations from the Bruins' 2021 acquisition for forward Jamie Valentino.
Defenceman Holdin Getzlaf is now with Manitoba's Niverville Nighthawks, and fellow blue-liner Jules Delepoulle has joined the Minnesota Mallards of the NAHL.
Last year's top scorer, forward Ilya Chmelevski, an American-Russian dual citizen, has signed to play pro with the Toros Neftekamsk of the All-Russian Hockey League, a step below the Kontinental Hockey League. Another skilled forward, Alex Papaspyropolous, is with the New Jersey Titans of the NAHL. Forward Gabriel Filion was dealt to the Humboldt Broncos.
Carsyn Dyck, who was last year's top rookie for the Bruins, is with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. Daniel Tokariwski was traded to Manitoba's Virden Oil Capitals. Dillon Jackson decided to go to school.
Forward Raine Hodge is not with the team and is awaiting a trade.
Since the end of training camp, the Bruins have brought in several players, including Kent Moors and Ewan Renne, who played with the B.C. Hockey League's Cowichan Valley Capitals and Langley Riverman, respectively, while forwards Luke Hogan and Jacob Peterson have been brought in from the Aberdeen Wings of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
Defenceman Michael Carter, 20, acquired from the Lloydminster Bobcats of the Alberta league, has been competing and working hard, Tatarnic said. Young forwards Reed Gramlich of Arizona and Rorey Elson from Chatham, Ont., have looked good.
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The club has also entered into a sponsorship agreement with Eagle Sky Ventures as the team’s name sponsor ahead of the 2024-25 season.
“Our organization is extremely grateful and humbled by the sponsorship Mike [Fowler] and the Eagle Sky Ventures team have provided,” said Bruins president Riley Tetreault. “We look forward to working with Eagle Sky Ventures to enhance the product provided for the Southeast Saskatchewan hockey fan on and off the ice.”
To mark the occasion this week, Eagle Sky Ventures president Mike Fowler was on-hand at Affinity Place to receive a jersey presented by Bruins’ director of sales and assistant coach/GM Drew Kocur, and team captain Cade Kennedy.
