It was a long and winding junior hockey career for Humboldt native Dawson Atamanchuk, which was book-ended by a pair of MVP awards.
The 20-year-old forward played three seasons of junior hockey split between junior B with the Delisle Chiefs and Wainwright Bisons, and junior A with the Humboldt Broncos and Weyburn Red Wings.
He kicked off his junior career in 2015-2016 as a member of the Delisle Chiefs, where the then 18-year-old scored 27 goals and 70 points in 37 games to be named the Prairie Junior Hockey League Rookie of the Year.
That rookie season seemed to catch the eye of Broncos brass, as Atamanchuk, who played two games with the Broncos in 2015-2016, made the jump to junior A the following season.
In 37 games as a Bronco, the Humboldt native scored six times, and added eight assists.
That season in Humboldt is one Atamanchuk will not soon forget, he says, noting the support he received was amazing.
After one season in a Broncos uniform, Atamanchuk was traded to Weyburn where he began this season.
After a 33 game stint, that saw the 20-year-old score six times and add a pair of assists, he made the difficult decision to leave Weyburn, finding a landing spot with the Wainwright Bisons.
“I think everything happens the way it’s supposed to happen and in Weyburn it didn’t work out for whatever reason. (I) ended up going to win two championships in one year,” says Atamanchuk.
After joining the team in January, Atamanchuk regained his scoring touch, with five goals and nine points in just six regular season contests.
The playoffs were even better for the Humboldt native, as he piled up an impressive 14 goals and 31 points in just 13 games, resulting in a playoff MVP.
Atamanchuk’s incredible playoffs helped the Bisons claim the playoff league title, earning them a spot at provincials.
At provincials the Bisons finished with a record of 3-0-1 to claim the provincial title.
Winning a pair of titles in his final season was special, the 20-year-old admits. “That was pretty amazing to be able to do that because some people don’t win a championship at all and I got to win two in one year in my last year.”
Making the move from junior A to junior B was an adjustment, Atamanchuk says, adding his new club helped make the move easier.
“Our coach is an ex-pro hockey player so he was a really good that way and knew what he was doing. It was different than most junior B. He still treated in like a junior A hockey club, which was really awesome.”
Of course, this season provided Atamanchuk with a number of unique opportunities, as he moved away from home for the first time.
Atamanchuk admitted that there was an adjustment to moving into his new home, noting it was a “pretty cool” experience.
“You just kind of learn how to live on your own a little bit. It definitely took a little getting used to but I enjoyed it. They became family to me.”
The path to junior was not an easy one for Atamanchuk, but was an impressive one all the same, as the Humboldt native took two full seasons off, before playing half a season of Midget AA.
The following year he was playing with the Chiefs.
“It took a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs and being patient here and there and make the most of an opportunity when you’re given it. I was blessed enough to be able to be successful in that aspect.”
Atamanchuk credited Midget AA head coach at the time, Chris Hamilton for his work in helping Atamanchuk develop into a junior hockey player.
“I got to learn a lot from him. He knows a lot about hockey, he’s a phenomenal human being. And he really helped me and made me grow, not just hockey but other aspects of my life.”
Of course, there is more to hockey than just being on the ice, and Atamanchuk said building relationships was one of his favourite parts of playing junior.
“You’re a family. You see each other more than your actual family so you rely on them everyday to help you win games, and, just life in general, you rely on them.”
As for his greatest sense of pride, the 20-year-old says just making a junior A roster is something he will always be proud of.
“Not a lot of people get to do that and it’s a pretty big accomplishment hockey wise. You learn a lot of life skills, especially if you’re team’s not doing well or you’re in a grind of four games in five nights and just the work ethic and to be able to battle through adversity, I think that goes a long way.”
With Atamanchuk aging out of junior hockey, the Humboldt native must look ahead to the future.
“Whether it’s college hockey or not, I’m not sure. It’s going to have to be something I sit down and see if I want to keep pursuing hockey and hopefully something works out like that. But if it’s not then I just look back on the time I had and I have all those memories stored away in my head and just enjoy that.”
Away from the ice, Atamanchuk says he will be spending the next few months helping out with family businesses, while doing plenty of hunting and fishing.
