Newcomers bolster Warriors blue line

By Matthew Gourlie

With 18 returning veterans, there were plenty of familiar faces at the Moose Jaw Warriors training camp.

It was a pair of new faces on the blue line that drew a lot of attention though.

Rookie Russian import Oleg Sosunov was stuck in Tampa Bay waiting for a visa when the Warriors opened camp. When Sosunov arrived Saturday, it didn’t take the six-foot-eight Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick long to be the focus of attention.

Sosunov skates well for a big man and his reach is going to cause problems for opposing forwards in the WHL.

Before Sosunov arrived, another rookie defenceman was impressing as he looks to earn a roster spot.

Chase Hartje

Chase Hartje signed with the Warriors in April following his junior season with his Bemidji high school team. He also had six points in nine games in a stint with Bismarck of the NAHL. The five-foot-10, left-handed defenceman will turn 18 in December.

“I want to make an impact as much as possible,” Hartje said. “I’ve been here the past two years, so I’m feeling pretty comfortable.”

The Warriors return veterans like Josh Brook, Dmitri Zaitsev, Jett Woo and Colin Paradis to the blue line. Playing with and against them in main camp, Hartje looked ready to step in and contribute. His skating ability is obvious immediately, but he also showed off his passing skills and confidence from the first time he stepped on the ice. He admitted he made some mistakes, but was overall pretty pleased with the start to his camp.

“I’m definitely an offensive-defenceman, a power play guy,” Hartje said.

Hartje still had a year of high school hockey left in Minnesota, but he made the choice to come north to try to improve himself as a player.

“I wanted the opportunity to play against the best players your age. The best players come here and I wanted to play the best,” he said.

Daemon Hunt, the Warriors first round pick in the 2017 bantam draft, was outstanding in rookie camp. The defenceman was the 15th overall pick and showed a mix of strong skating and physicality throughout camps. Hunt signed his WHL standard player agreement with the Warriors Monday.

Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt poses with head coach Tim Hunter after signing his WHL standard player agreement.

Two more rookie camp standout also signed with the Warriors Monday as they added to their future depth in goal.

Ethan Fitzgerald, a 2001-born goalie who attended Hockey Canada’s under-17 development camp, signed his WHL SPA after putting in some strong performances in camp. Fitzgerald is a Calgary product who was a sixth round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft.

Jackson Berry also signed his WHL SPA Monday. Berry is a 2002-born draft pick from Chestermere, Alta. who was the Warriors’ sixth round pick in the 2017 bantam draft.

While the Warriors look to have a strong, deep blue line, defence was in short supply Sunday afternoon at the annual Black-White intrasquad game.

Jayden Halbgewachs scored four goals in the first period to help pace Team White to an 8-5 win.

Tristin Langan scored twice in the first period for Team Black to try to keep pace with Halbgewach’s outburst. Fellow veterans Josh Brook and Luka Burzan and Cameron Sterling — an 01-born list player who spent last season with the minor midget Calgary Blackhawks — each scored in the second period for Black to tie the game at 5-5.

Chantz Petruic’s second goal of the game was the winner for Team White who also got goals from Justin Almeida and Bryce Anderson, a five-foot-seven, 2001-born list player who played with Valley West in B.C. last season.

Langan, who had six goals in 66 games last season, also scored twice in Saturday’s first scrimmage of main camp.

Jaxan Kaluski missed the intrasquad game after blocking a shot earlier in camp. The 18-year-old missed the last four months of his rookie campaign after undergoing surgery on his broken ankle last November. His current injury isn’t believed to be serious though.

Tuesday’s rookie game against the Swift Current Broncos is  7 p.m., in Mosaic Place. Admission for Tuesday’s game is by donation with the proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association in memory of Ethan Williams.