Moose Jaw Warriors (2016-17 record: 42-21-8-2, 93 points, second in the East Division. Lost in seven games to Swift Current in the first round of the playoffs)
Hockey fans in Moose Jaw come by their cynicism naturally.
As the Moose Jaw Warriors enter their 34th season of Western Hockey League play they are still searching for their first league title. Their only trip to the finals saw them swept by Vancouver in 2006. Heck, they’ve only topped the Eastern Division three times in their history.
Yet, for the first time in perhaps forever — and certainly since the 2003-04 or 2011-12 season — the Warriors are one of the WHL’s pre-season favourites. You could even make the case that they are the pre-season favourites. The Warriors return their five leading scorers: Jayden Halbgewachs, Brayden Burke, Brett Howden, Noah Gregor and Tanner Jeannot. They have young defencemen Josh Brook (a second-round NHL pick) and Jett Woo (ranked as a mid-first round NHL pick by TSN’s Bob McKenzie to start this season) to go along with a pair of 19-year-old NHL drafted Russian imports in Dmitri Zaitsev and Oleg Sosunov.
The Warriors unexpectedly lost starting goalie Zach Sawchenko in the off-season. Sawchenko decided to forego his 20-year-old season and enroll at the University of Alberta instead. Forward Thomas Foster and defencemen Matt Sozanski and Josh Thrower all graduated.
Still, the Warriors could return as many as 17 veterans, most in key roles, and on paper may have the best team in franchise history.
With the Regina Pats hosting the Memorial Cup, the Warriors couldn’t pick a better time to win their first WHL crown. While the proximity would be great, having to go through the Memorial Cup hosts in your own division just to advance out of the second round of the playoffs is, obviously, less than ideal.
If there’s a concern going into the season, it’s the memory of last year’s playoff loss to Swift Current. The Warriors could have the best regular season in franchise history, but the question of whether they can get the job done in the playoffs will linger until they prove they can.
Goaltender Brody Willms has one period of playoff hockey to his credit — a flawless 12-save cameo in a 5-2 loss to Brandon in 2016. Willms has been steady and capable over his three WHL seasons, but he’s never been asked to carry the load until now.
Last year the Warriors’ five top forwards had 153 goals and 377 points in 313 regular season games. That’s an average of 1.20 points-per-game. During the playoffs that was down to 0.40 points-per-game as they tallied seven goals and seven assists in a combined 35 games.
That group is a year older and will be hungry after bowing out in the first round a year ago, but scoring wasn’t an issue for the Warriors last season (they were seventh in the WHL) until it was suddenly was against Swift Current.
With those forwards all likely to move on next season and both imports also unlikely to return as 20-year-olds there is no reason to hold back if general manager Alan Millar feels there’s a hole to fill.
Zaitsev had a strong rookie campaign and the puck-moving defenceman will be joined by Sosunov this season after forward Yan Khomenko was let go in the off-season. At six-foot-eight, Sosunov adds size, reach and a presence in front of the net that the Warriors needed.
Luka Burzan parlayed a strong summer with Hockey Canada into a roster spot on the under-18 for the Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Burzan will be looking to add to the 14 goals and 27 points he tallied in 66 games as a rookie.
He, Woo and Brook will be expected to have a larger role on the team. Brook got better as last season wore on and actually led the Warriors in scoring during the playoffs.
With so many returning players, the few roster openings available have been hotly contested. Nineteen-year-old veterans like Colin Paradis and Tristin Langan and camp invitee Jaeger White are being pushed by young players. On the blue line Matt Benson, who played two playoff games last season, and 18-year-old American speedster Chase Hartje are competing for a spot. Austin Herron, 16, and Brenden Kwiatkowski, 17, are also in the mix.
Up front the Warriors added size and toughness with Tristyn De Roose from Vancouver. He and White give Moose Jaw 14 forwards with WHL experience and Tate Popple and Tyler Smithies, both 17, were both called up by the Warriors last season. They also have skilled 2016 first round pick Brayden Tracey trying to crack the lineup.
Howden and Sosunov are attending training camp with Tampa Bay, while Zaitsev and Jeannot are at Washington’s main camp and Noah Gregor is at San Jose’s main camp. Halbgewachs was invited to the Vegas Golden Knights main camp after impressing in their rookie tournament. Brook has returned from his first Montréal Canadiens camp.
Assuming Halbgewachs returns, he, Burke and Jeannot seem the likely 20-year-olds with hard-working winger Spencer Bast the odd-man-out.
Warriors head coach Tim Hunter has a wealth of knowledge and experience. They have a veteran squad with talent, depth and balance. Getting out of their division won’t be easy, but this is a Warriors team that shouldn’t fear anyone — not even the Memorial Cup hosts next door.
