Warriors Notebook: Hub roster released

 

March is finally upon us, and for the Moose Jaw Warriors and the rest of the seven-team East Division of the Western Hockey League, that means the Regina Hub is only 12 days away (knock on wood).

Squad Released

The Warriors released their full 25-man squad Monday, with several highlights.

Captain Daemon Hunt, the explosive Minnesota Wild prospect with three American Hockey League games under his belt will lead a young defence-corps, while ‘A’-listed National Hockey League draft prospect Ryder Korczak, the man responsible for a WHL-high 17.2 percent of Moose Jaw’s offence in 2019-20, is the biggest name upfront.

Newly minted 20-year-old Boston Bilous looks to shoulder the load in the net, with 2003-born rookie Brett Mirwald behind him. Out-going Warriors’ general manager Alan Millar noted on the Rod Pederson Show Monday that there was a very intentional method for putting together the squad

“There is a balance to how we finalized our roster and what we want to accomplish in this 24-game season,” he said.

“First and foremost we want to be competitive. We think we have a good young group here that has a chance to grow together and have some success starting next year. Purely based on last year, it is important for us…to win more games than we lose in the Hub. We are going to be competitive, while at the same time, making sure we are getting our young players in that environment and development is going to be key.”

Korczak, the 2002-born native of Yorkton, SK, has all sorts of confidence in the group.

“I believe we have a very strong group,” he said over the phone to the DUBNetwork.

“We have lots of depth, we have 14 returning players, so I think we’re going to put up a lot of good games over this Hub and moving forward.”

The Warriors will look to regain some of the respect they potentially lost by their 44-loss, second-worst in the WHL performance, a year ago.

Eyes on the kids

While all sorts of eyes in the Hub will be on Regina’s exceptional status ‘Wonder Kid’ Connor Bedard, the Warriors will have an exceptional 2005 birthyear of their own: Brayden Yager.

The Warriors’ first pick, third overall in the 2020 draft, who turned 16 years-of-age on Jan. 3, had the benefit of six dominant games earlier this season with the Saskatoon Contacts U18s and a full campaign up an age group in 19-20.

That Yager and Bedard look to be the electric focal-points of the two blood rivals for years to come is fantastic for the WHL and hockey in southern Saskatchewan.

“The opportunity to bring Yager was an important one for us,” said Millar.

“I think you look at Bedard and Yager, and for me, they were clearly the two best players in the draft. They are both special players, and I am excited to see them go head-to-head for a long time here between the two rivals, us and the Pats. I am looking forward to seeing how they do in the Hub. (Brayden) is a special player, and he is going to have a great career.”

Hunting for respect

(Photo Credit – Nick Pettigrew/Moose Jaw Warriors) Hunt rushes up the ice.

The play of Daemon Hunt on the back end will be critical for a club that only got 66 points from the defence in 19-20 outside of the Wild pick.

Hunt, who dominated three Manitoba Junior Hockey League contests for Virden before landing on the Iowa Wild (AHL) opening-night roster earlier this year, has a young and mostly unheralded crew around him on the blue line; so the minutes might be big.

“Having him back there is definitely a confidence boost,” said Korczak, “he’ll definitely be a big part of our team success throughout the Hub.”

In attempts to fortify the outstanding Brandon, MB-native, the club also added its first-rounder from 2019, the silky 2004-born Denton Mateychuk to the line-up, as well as permanently bringing in hulking youngsters Lucas Brenton from Winnipeg, and Max Wanner from the MJ Warriors U18s.

A note of interest: One element that could work in the Warriors’ favour: Moose Jaw players have a combined 56 games between U18, Junior B, and Junior A in the 2020-2021 season so far.