It is an exciting week for the Humboldt Broncos and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The first ever Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Bantam Draft will be held at the Evergreen Center on June 4 in Nipawin. By virtue of finishing eighth in the 2014-2015 SJHL regular season, the Broncos will have the fifth overall pick. Unless the picks are traded, Humboldt will select fifth in each of the draft’s six rounds.
“There is an excitement about the draft around the league and for sure in our organization,” Broncos head coach and general manager Ryan Smith said. “We are excited. We think it is good for the league.”
Smith said the team is ready for the first ever draft.
“We have a really good staff that has put together a really good list,” Smith said.
While the draft is new to the SJHL, it is old hat to Smith. He participated in several Manitoba Junior Hockey League drafts as head coach and general manager of the Selkirk Steelers. The Steelers made it to the league finals in 2011 and had the MJHL’s best regular season record in 2014. Smith said that the draft helped build those teams.
“The draft is key … Just like trades, you can win or lose at the draft,” Smith said. “With a couple picks, you can turn your franchise around in a year or two.”
The pool of players available in the SJHL draft, which Yorkton has the top pick in, consist of Saskatchewan residents who have completed their eligibility from the previous season for bantam hockey. Teams must have room on their 50-player protected list in order to select a player. Drafting is not an exact science and Smith acknowledged it can sometimes be difficult to project a player’s future.
“You are going to try to pick a player where you can picture him in a Junior A setting and in a Junior A game,” Smith said.
Smith noted that SJHL teams need to pay attention to where players are selected in the earlier major junior Western Hockey League draft. Thirty-three players from Saskatchewan were picked in the WHL draft – including three in the first round.
As well as drafting players, SJHL teams will still be able to protect players who live in the legal boundaries of their communities. Those players are protected by their local team until they reach their 17th birthday.
Roster Moves
The Broncos have announced that Matthew Kenney has been sent to the Weyburn Red Wings to complete the future considerations of the Jon Brumwell and Colton Laroque deal. Kenney, a 19-year-old forward from Ontario, was second on the Broncos in points last season with 36 in 42 games. Kenney was named the team’s Rookie of the Year.
“It is unfortunate we have to lose him,” Smith said.
However, he emphasized the importance of Brumwell and Laroque to last year’s squad. In November, the Broncos were looking to improve their size and veteran experience. Brumwell, a forward, and Laroque, a defenceman, provided both of those in their 20-year-old seasons. Humboldt made it to the playoffs where it lost to Weyburn in a wild card series.
“I’m not sure where we are without Jon and Colton … I think those guys helped us get to the playoffs,” Smith said. “It was a short run. Without those guys, we don’t get there.”
The Broncos also announced the release of C.J. Kusch. The 19-year-old forward from Michigan had two assists and 24 penalty minutes in 30 games last season after joining the team from Melfort. Smith said that Kusch was a great kid and a good Bronco.
“He played a hard-nosed game,” Smith said.
The Broncos are looking to improve offensively after struggling at times to score goals. Smith said that releasing Kusch now gives him an opportunity to find a new team. The team will try to help him with that, Smith noted.
