For a number of junior hockey players the dream is getting a scholarship and playing collegiate hockey.
And for 60 of the top junior hockey players in Saskatchewan, including eight Humboldt Broncos, that dream is closer to becoming a reality thanks to the SJHL/MJHL Showcase held in Regina Jan. 15-16.
The showcase was brand new this season, and was a compliment to the one in September, which sees each of the 12 SJHL teams play two games over four days.
SJHL President Bill Chow noted the addition of the showcase was an important move for the league because it gave the scouts an extra opportunity to see the players live.
“It does push the players a little bit harder because now it’s midway through the season, the trade deadline is done. So those things are all out of the way and now they just go out and play.”
The showcase played host to approximately 50 scouts from across collegiate hockey programs in Canada and the United States, including University of Maine assistant coach Alfie Michaud, who noted he was really impressed with what he saw over the two days, saying the level of play on the ice was great.
“You’re kind of playing for pride of your league so it made for real hockey so to speak. Kids were definitely giving it that 110 per cent, they were running kids, running each other, it was almost close to fights because it’s not like when you’re playing in an all star game or summer hockey. They understood kind of what was on the line.”
But just what benefit is the showcase?
For former Bronco Russell Nielsen having the showcase allows the players to have additional eyeballs on them.
Nielsen spent three seasons playing for the green and gold, serving as captain on the Royal Bank Cup winning team in 2008.
After graduating from the Broncos, Nielsen moved on to play five seasons at the University of Regina.
For Nielsen, the recruiting process was very short he says, noting there was not a lot of communication with schools.
“It was kind of done through the coach all the time. With Dean, he would kind of tell us about guys that were interested and stuff like that but it was pretty rare that somebody actually came down to the dressing room and talked to you.”
Nielsen sees the showcase as an extra step for most players, and says it was particularly important that the games were held in a large city like Regina.
From a scouts perspective, Michaud agrees with Nielsen noting that it made it real easy for him to watch 120 of the best players from Saskatchewan and Manitoba all in one place over two days.
“For us being a Hockey East school I’ve got to fly all the way from Maine. To be able to come into Regina on a Sunday and literally watch Monday, Tuesday and have access to the kids and stuff like that to be able to do all of that at once, that’s the beauty of the showcase.”
Of course, technology has also played a major role in the way kids are recruited, and former Bronco Arlen Marshall notices that in a big way.
“To get out to Saskatchewan or British Columbia consistently it just can’t happen. We’ll come out once or twice a year when we can and see kids but if I wan to watch the Broncos play on a Tuesday night at 7:00 against a good opponent...I can pop online and watch it.”
With more technology comes more competition though, says Marshall who notes he has seen an increase in the level of talent in his league.
The advent of technology also means increased access to social media and other online mediums, which can be a problem, says Marshall.
“If you’re on their Twitter or Facebook or whatever it is you’re taking a look at you kind of get a sense of what kind of human being they are. It can help or it can hurt the person too because ultimately what coaches and programs want is you want good people in your program.”
With players now able to be scouted online, Marshall says it is important that kids represent themselves well on social media because there are too many hockey players to choose from.
“If a coach foresees that this player’s going to be an issue or has off ice problems or isn’t a good human being or is a trouble maker, chances are they’re going to go somewhere else,” says Marshall, who notes his club has six Swedes and a Czech on the roster who he scouted online.
For their part, Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan notes he talks to his players about being responsible online, and says he stresses to them that everyday is a job interview.
“Everybody is watching, everybody is looking and that goes for all of us. So obviously you’ve got to be careful of what you do post. With that being said it’s not just necessarily the bad stuff that you don’t post but you can use it as your resume and you can be posting good stuff and making a positive change that way.”
Marshall was a member of the green and gold during their 2003 Royal Bank Cup winning season, spending a couple of more years with the Broncos before moving on to play NCAA Division III hockey with Manhattanville College.
After spending four seasons on the ice with Manhattanville, Marshall transitioned into the role as assistant coach before being promoted to head coach in 2012, a position he still holds today.
Marshall notes his recruiting experience was different from Nielsen’s saying he was in conversation with NCAA schools beginning when he was 17.
After lengthy discussions Marshall was offered Division III scholarships, which he ended up accepting.
The one regret Marshall has is he was not serious enough about school, which is something he says players need to be cognizant of, and not when they are graduating but when they hit grade 9.
“It’s kind of like a foundation from grade 9 into grade 10, 11 and 12 of what you have to accomplish academically. It’s tough if you’re behind the ball after grade 9 and grade 10 to get back. It’s not to say that you can’t get back on track but it’s just that much tougher than if you start off on the right foot in grade 9 and grade 10.”
Getting to the kids early is not always possible for SJHL teams who do not see some kids until they are in grade 11 or 12, but Haugan says his club does what they can to help the kids succeed.
“(Assistant G.M. Jason Neville) provides great support for our guys and understanding what they need to do to become eligible, which is important… We’ve got great people here, it’s just part of what we’re trying to do.” says Haugan.
“We’re also trying to develop young men so whatever field, whatever they do after they leave the Humboldt Broncos you want to make sure that we’ve helped equip them to become assets to their community.”
For their part the SJHL took full advantage of the showcase winning five of the six contests, but Chow notes the results were not very important.
“It’s about the players going out there and doing what they do best and working their hardest and exposing what they themselves as individuals do but also playing as a team environment.”
The Broncos’ eight players wrapped up the showcase with four points thanks to one goal and one assist from Logan Schatz, one goal from Nick Shumlanski, and one assist from Xavier Labelle.
Haugan liked how the showcase went, noting it was about more than just the players who attended.
“Since our players are on their radar they’re going to be watching our team and that means more opportunity for the other guys that maybe weren’t there.”
With the showcase wrapped up for the first year, Chow says the league has not had a chance to review how things went, but says they will making minor adjustments as they see fit. They will be speaking with SJHL coaches to determine ways they can improve.
