He was the third highest scorer in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League last year while playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors. Now, Estevan's Austin Daae, 17, is suiting up for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League.Daae, who played his minor hockey in Estevan before moving to Moose Jaw to play AAA midget at the age of 15, will now be on the move once again. And again it will be to further his hockey career.After attending a rookie camp with the Blades last spring, Daae was invited to attend the team's main camp last weekend. While there, he proved that he is good enough to play at the WHL level and is now looking forward to his rookie season with the Blades."It's gone really well so far, I had a good camp and then a good inter-squad game and then they signed me on the last day of training camp and told me I'd be with them for the rest of the year," said Daae from his billet's home in Saskatoon.Always being a go-to offensive player in the past, Daae wasn't sure as to just what his role is going be with the Blades in his upcoming rookie season. It all depends, as the team still has a lot of veterans away at NHL camps and isn't sure which of those players they're going to get back."From what I hear though, it's going to be a pretty young team so I'm probably going to have to fill some pretty big shoes this year," said Daae who had 27 goals and 45 assists in 43 games for the AAA Warriors last season.Getting used to a higher level of hockey is something all rookies are forced to deal with all the way through the ranks on the road to the NHL. Everything from pace of play to strength and skill is just that much better. As for the 6'0, 198 lb. Daae, he says he did lots of skating over the summer with many of the guys he'll be playing with this season to ready himself for the fast paced hockey that he'll be playing this year. The work isn't done yet however, and Daae knows that he still needs to improve on things if he wants to excel in Canada's highest level of junior hockey."I think getting stronger and being able to handle the long season. You play a lot more games up here, so just being in shape to be able to keep up with these guys," he said."It can be a lot tougher to get around guys and you've just got to have your head up all the time and move the puck a lot quicker. You don't have the time and space that have in midget hockey."The Blades are amidst their exhibition schedule right now with the season kicking off for real with a home and home series against the Prince Albert Raiders on September 24 and 25.
