Both key returning former Terriers from the WHL in Yorkton's 2012/13 SJHL Championship season. Veteran blueliners from the SJHL Champs John Neibrandt and Austin Bourhis will go from key veterans to rookies together this fall and winter as they joined the University of Regina's ice hockey team.
Neibrandt played part of his 17-year-old season at home with the Terriers before joining the Kootenay Ice for two full seasons in the WHL. Kootenay was where Neibrandt won a WHL Championship in 2011 before falling short in the Memorial Cup in his most successful run in the WHL.
Bourhis was a full-time Terrier at 17 before he parlayed his play in Yorkton into a nice run in the WHL.
Bourhis spent the next two seasons in Prince Albert with the Raiders.
Neibrandt played 65 plus games in both seasons in Kootenay, putting up a solid final year with the team as a 19 year old in 2011-12. In 69 games Neibrandt was a +18 and had 12 assists on they year with two goals, not bad production from the defensive specialist.
Bourhis made his impact in the WHL as a tough guy, earning more than his share of penalty minutes while in Prince Albert. Not one who is ever shy to drop the mitts for his team, Bourhis earned his place in the WHL as a grinder with 145 PIM's in 2010-11 and 129 in the 2011-12 season as a 19 year old.
The Kipling, SK native didn't put the puck into the back of the net during his stay in Prince Albert, his career high in points in the 'Dub being just seven despite having underrated scoring touch that was evident once he rejoined the Terriers this past season.
With WHL teams having just three slots for 20-year-olds the two found themselves at new clubs heading into their final WHL seasons as junior eligible players. Bourhis was given one last crack in Moose Jaw with the Warriors stay in Saskatchewan, and Neibrandt remained at a B.C. franchise in Vancouver with the Giants before both ended up back in Yorkton.
The two quickly shook off the initial disappointment of their WHL careers coming to an end, and instantly turned the Terriers into the deepest team in the SJHL. Bourhis would play on the blueline as well as a winger in certain situations while Neibrandt manned strictly the blueline adding size and strength to the Terriers' back end.
Neibrandt would provide a veteran presence as a hometown favorite, managing to finish his junior career by scoring in every stint he spent in junior hockey with two goals in the regular season to tack onto a single goal scored during his six games with the Giants to start the season. Neibrandt would tack on 10 assists in the regular season and three more during the playoffs, making most of his impact in front of the net where he took up valuable real estate as a shot blocker as a 6 6' defenceman.
Bourhis would find his scoring touch while back in Yorkton, managing to find the back of the net five times in a 21 point season that matched his 17 year old season he spent with the Terriers. Bourhis would continue to rack up the penalty minutes in the SJHL, continuing his reputation as a player who plays on the edge, registering some highlight reel hits during the championship season.
No moment would be bigger for the two players than when Bourhis unleashed a slapshot from the blueline to extend the Terriers lead against the Humboldt Broncos in the deciding sixth game at the Farrell Agencies Arena The Broncos would come back to tie up the game in the third period, but Bourhis' rocket from the slot at the time appeared to seal the game and was the cherry on top of a great year to end his junior career.
Now the two are off to compete in the CIS, more than worthy recruits for the University of Regina program who locked up two veteran blueliners with championship pedigree in picking up Neibrandt and Bourhis for the 2013-14 season and beyond.
A connection from the WHL is what brought Neibrandt to the U of R along with Bourhis. Neibrandt's Assistant Coach in Kootenay was Todd Johnson, who now serves as the Head Coach at the U of R.
Other graduated Terriers who will be playing college hockey this fall include Patrick Martens and Jeremy Johnson. Johnson went the United States route, signing with the Minot State Beavers where he will play the 2013-14 season for the defending league champions.
