In his second season, Gray Marr is piling up points and helping the Humboldt Broncos fight for a playoff spot.
As of Feb. 2, the Twin Butte, Alta. product led the Broncos with 35 points. The way he plays also helps set the tone for the team.
“He’s the hardest working player we have … He is battling,” Humboldt head coach Ryan Smith said. “He is scoring some goals.”
Marr and the Broncos earned a pair of dominant shutout victories last week. Those wins boosted the Broncos’ record to 18-21-5-0. As of Feb. 1, Humboldt had a four-point lead on the La Ronge Ice Wolves for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s 10th and final playoff spot. The Broncos trail ninth-place Estevan by two points and eighth-place Weyburn by three.
“We are satisfied for the weekend, but we are moving … We are aware of where we are,” Smith said. “We need to keep moving up.”
At 5-foot-7, 173-pounds, Marr uses his speed, skill, and desire to succeed. When asked about how Marr gets his points, Smith said:
“It’s his work ethic. It is his quickness … When he sees the play, he makes it. He doesn’t hesitate.”
Marr often skates on a line with Jarrett Fontaine. Smith said Marr and Fontaine play a similar fast-paced style.
“Once we get the puck, we go on offence,” Marr said. “We try to go as quick as we can and catch the other team on the rush.”
His head coach said that Marr and Fontaine are “both heart and soul guys.” He emphasized that Marr always goes flat out.
Marr has already surpassed the nine goals and 20 points he posted in 56 games as rookie last season. He said there are a variety of reasons why he has been successful this season.
“It’s getting more comfortable in the league, more playing time, and more chemistry with my linemates,” said Marr, who has 10 goals this season.
The second-year player said he was drawn to the Broncos because of the history of the program. He wanted to be part of that and to help the team continue to be successful. Marr has enjoyed his experience in Humboldt.
“The team is really good,” he said. “The coaches are really good. The town has been good supporting us.”
Broncos Win Two
Last week, Humboldt topped Battlefords, 5-0, and Yorkton, 6-0. Smith said he felt the Broncos approached its game last week against Battlefords like a playoff game and that carried over to the Yorkton contest.
When asked about what pleased him the most, Smith said, “We didn’t hesitate last week.” He went on to explain that the team made plays and didn’t wait such as hesitating on the forecheck, waiting for the perfect play and not having it materialize, etc.
The Broncos also played suffocating defence.
“We had more pressure on the two teams we played,” Smith said. “That pressure eliminated any opportunities.”
The Humboldt head coach was also pleased with how his team amassed 11 goals in two games.
“It was nice to see us score goals. It has been an Achilles’ for us all year,” said Smith, who was also happy to see the scoring spread around.
The Broncos dominated Battlefords 5-0 at the Elgar Petersen Arena on Jan. 28. Humboldt goalie Jack Romanuik stopped 28 shots to earn his first shutout of the season.
Humboldt grabbed a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period. They added one more in the second period. Matthew Kenney had three points on the night, including a goal. Also scoring for the Broncos were Josh Bergen, Gage Joel, Jarrett Fontaine and defenceman Greg Moro. Ryley McNeil had a pair of assists.
Spencer Tremblay started for Battlefords and stopped six of the 10 shots he faced. Ryan Rewerts relieved him and made 18 saves.
The Broncos followed up that victory with a 6-0 drubbing of Yorkton. Romanuik stopped all nine shots he faced and Ryan Larochelle made 16 saves for Humboldt. With Romanuik nursing a minor injury, Larochelle made his season debut with Humboldt.
“It worked out well,” Smith said of Larochelle seeing some action. “He saw some rubber. He had good rebound control.”
Fontaine had two goals and an assist, while Marr had a goal and two assists. The pair was teamed on a line with McNeil. Listed as a defenceman, McNeil has played some forward earlier this season and during the last one for Humboldt. With his speed and playing style, the Broncos coaching staff decided to try him on that line – with much success.
“He was a big part of those guys having a good couple games,” Smith said.
With McNeil moving up front, Corey Dambrauskas saw more time on the blue line and played well, his head coach noted.
Also scoring for the Broncos against Yorkton were Colton Laroque, Jon Brumwell, and Bergen, who is from Drake. Yorkton’s Dawson McAuley made 41 saves on 47 shots.
Feb. 10 at Home
The Broncos play three road games this week. They were at Kindersley on Feb. 3. On the weekend, they take on Weyburn on Feb. 6 and Estevan on Feb. 7.
The squad is home on Feb. 10 to host Kindersley.
Kenney Honoured
Kenney, a first-year player from London, Ont., was named the SJHL’s Rookie of the Month for January. During the first month of 2015, the forward had six goals and nine assists in 12 games. He had two three-point games.
Catching Up With
Ward Szucki (2010-2011) has been a surprise this season for the University of Regina. Due to circumstances, the Cougars needed to shift a forward back to the blueline.
“We needed someone to step up on the backend … We put Ward there because of his skating ability. He has surprised us with how he has contributed,” U of R head coach Todd Johnson said.
Szucki, a third-year Cougar, has two goals in 22 games. The Neepawa product played his second Junior A season with the Broncos after suiting up in his rookie campaign with Battlefords. Szucki returned to his home province to wrap up his junior career with the Neepawa Natives and Winkler Flyers.
