A number of on-ice moves and a significant off-ice change over the past few weeks have showcased the Estevan Bruins focus on developing a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) program that will thrive for years to come.
The Bruins announced on Friday they had reached an open-ended sponsorship commitment with Power Dodge where the team will be called the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins for at least the next three years. The Bruins previously had a naming rights agreement with CanElson Drilling and continued to honour that contract last season despite CanElson Drilling being acquired by Trinidad Drilling in 2015.
Chris Lewgood, head coach and general manager of the Bruins, said their previous naming rights partner decided they weren’t able to re-sign with them due to the structural changes in their business along with the troubles that are currently hampering the economy. He said members of the Power Dodge executive then approached the team with the idea of sponsoring the club and the agreement seemed like a natural fit.
“It just further establishes (Power Dodge) as a presence in Estevan,” said Lewgood, noting the name change will not really affect any of the advertising around Affinity Place, “and the sponsorship package financially helps us significantly in putting a hockey team on the ice.”
In terms of on-ice changes, the Bruins announced on Thursday they have traded 20-year-old right wing Landon Gross to the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) for 18-year-old defenceman Nick Sutter. Gross was acquired by the Bruins from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s WayWayseecappo Wolverines at the SJHL’s trade deadline eight months ago for defenceman Nathan Peabody and future considerations, which became left wing Zach Paxman.
Lewgood said there was a belief that Gross would be a rental player when they brought him in at the Jan. 10 deadline because it was known that he wanted to play in his home province of Alberta to finish off his junior career. He said Sutter is a veteran AJHL defenceman playing 49 games where he recorded four goals and 14 points over the past two seasons and will help the Bruins get younger, while also adding a veteran presence on the blue line.
The Bruins also made two trades in late July, acquiring 17-year-old prospect Kris Bzdel from the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves on July 21 for conditional draft picks and future considerations and defenceman Cole Rooney from the Superior International Junior Hockey League's Dryden Ice Dogs on July 25 for a player development fee.
Bzdel spent the past two seasons with the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League’s Tisdale Trojans and enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2015-16 when the 5-foot-8 and 190-pound left wing notched 20 goals and 49 points in 42 regular season games before leading the league in scoring during the playoffs with a tally of 11 goals and 19 points in 14 matches.
“He’s an elite goal scorer and is going to be a force in junior hockey for several years,” said Lewgood. “We have yet to determine whether he’ll play for our club this year or not, but at the end of the day he’s a really nice pickup for us.
“Cole Rooney is a little different player. He’s a 19-year-old, really hard-nosed player. He plays the game honestly, gives a good effort every night and is more of a defensive guy who can play in some key special team situations. (He’s) really good on the penalty kill and does whatever it takes to win.”
