Four members of the Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins will compete against the strongest bantam-age players in the province this weekend for the chance to make it to the next stage of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) SaskFirst Program.
Bruins forwards Mason Strutt, Ethan Smith, Jake Palmer and defenceman Cole Brooks are among 160 bantam players who have been selected out of open February camps to play in the April 14-17 SHA SaskFirst tournament at the Co-operators Centre in Regina. Each of these players is looking to join a squad of 42 who will then compete at a summer camp with the goal of making the final 26-man Team Saskatchewan bantam roster.
Joel Houseman, SHA high performance coordinator and director of operations for Team Saskatchewan, said this weekend’s tournament also gives the participating kids an opportunity to showcase themselves before midget AAA, SJHL and WHL scouts who have all descended on Regina for the weekend, which was the case for the midget players in their March 31 to April 3 SHA SaskFirst tournament as well. He said the under-16 and U18 female competition that occurred last weekend in Regina saw the girls perform before Hockey Canada, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), NCAA and female midget AAA scouts.
“First of all, it’s an opportunity for those kids to come into one spot (where) all the hockey world comes together for one weekend and watches all the top players in the province,” said Houseman. “On the bantam boys and female programs there is another aspect to it where in all those programs we’re picking a Team Saskatchewan to go to a western or national competition later on next fall.”
Estevan Power Dodge bantam A Chargers forwards Kenzie Balon, Ireland Biette, Marci LeBlanc and goaltender Ayja Hegland competed in the U16 tournament, while Estevan PowerTech midget AA Panthers defenceman Shaelyn Audette and forward Karli Colpitts played in the U18 competition. Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins defenceman Brady Long, Kale Martens, Kade McMillen and forwards Preston Brodziak and Hunter Piche joined goaltender Cameron Lavoie in the SHA SaskFirst midget tournament.
Houseman said all provincial hockey branches in the country have programs of excellence, but the SHA SaskFirst program is unique. He said the SHA SaskFirst program includes midget players, which the other provinces don’t, and these tournaments are also open to anyone no matter where they live or play as opposed to other programs which use an identification process.
“There is no other place where you get all the (scouts) together in the same rink watching all the same kids, so it’s a tremendous opportunity for the players,” said Houseman about the tournaments. “You never know what might happen out of these tournaments, whether it’s getting invited to a camp or the bantam boys (with) the WHL draft coming up. So, it’s unique that all the kids get a weekend to just showcase their talents.”
