Humboldt native, Logan Barlage, got the best phone call a 14 year old hockey player could get on May 5 when the Swift Current Broncos selected Barlage fourth overall in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
Barlage said it was “an awesome feeling” when he got the phone call telling him the Broncos were going to draft him.
“It’s a great place to go to and it seems like an awesome organization so I’m excited.”
The Broncos were just as excited to draft the 6’3”, 195 pound Barlage, said Head Coach Mark Lamb.
“There’s many things that impress you about a…right handed centreman that had so many points and just dominated the Saskatchewan league this year and there’s lots to like about him. He’s a very competitive kid that wants to be a hockey player, Saskatchewan boy, he’s got bloodlines in his family that played hockey so we’re very happy to get him.”
Barlage absolutely dominated the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League this season scoring 60 goals and 65 assists in 30 regular season games before adding 11 goals and 10 assists in seven playoff games.
He also racked up the awards this season finishing the season as the leading scorer in the SBAAHL, in addition to first team all star and MVP honours at the Graham-Tuer Bantam Challenge tournament in Regina, first team allstar honours at the Medicine Hat Hockey Hounds Major Bantam Tournament and first team honours at the Prince Albert Bantam AAA Showcase.
Lamb says the success of Barlage’s season was not lost on the Broncos, who said he was one of the highest ranked bantam players across Western Canada.
“We had a high watch on him and especially the way our team played this year and where we were going to be picking he became a high priority.”
Being a Humboldt resident, Barlage already has a small connection to the Broncos since former Humboldt Junior A Broncos Head Coach Ryan Smith is now an assistant there.
“The assistant coach Ryan Smith coached in Humboldt a little bit as well and I got to meet him and he’s a nice guy and there’s no place I’d rather be.”
Barlage has some WHL experience in his family since his father is a former WHL player who played over 100 games in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Spokane Chiefs.
Since Barlage is only 14 years old he cannot make the Broncos roster this coming season so he will play for the Prince Albert Midget AAA Mintos in the Saskatchewan Midget AA Hockey League where Lamb expects him to continue to develop.
Lamb does expect to get him into a couple of games this season as an underager and expects him to play all of the exhibition season with the club to help him get used to the league.
Lamb says the organization is really excited to have Barlage on board and has high hopes for his future.
“As an organization we think he’s going to be a huge piece if not the piece to lead us to a lot of success.”
