Making one final stop at the buzzer on Wednesday, Weyburn Red Wings goaltender Angelo Zol put together as good of a performance as he could have hoped for.
He stopped all 32 shots he faced at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex to cap off the inaugural SJHL-MJHL Western All-Star Showcase.
“The boys played fantastic in front of me,” Zol said. “They made my job easy tonight, boxing out and letting me see shots. It was a lot of fun.”
Team SJHL’s 2-0 victory over Team MJHL wrapped up three days of the event, which was created to replace the annual Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Showcase, which brought together the league’s dozen franchises in Warman.
Instead, this year’s event brought together the best U19 junior A players from both the SJHL and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League to give players an early tryout ahead of next month’s Junior A World Challenge.
According to SJHL commissioner Kyle McIntyre, the event change was due to a push to feature the league’s younger athletes for both Hockey Canada and NCAA programs.
“We wanted to get together and really provide an opportunity for our kids in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to get on the Team Canada West roster and have an opportunity to make that team,” McIntyre said. “Number two, we wanted to showcase our younger talent and get our schools to come in to see what’s going on in our leagues.”
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Of the 40 players who attended the showcase, Team Canada West staff will select 20 to move on to the main training camp in Calgary, which will also feature athletes from the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Flin Flon Bombers head coach Mike Reagan was announced as Team Canada West’s head coach on Wednesday and will be looking for a variety of different players.
“We talk about building a house and you can’t just have a carpenter,” Reagan said. “You need plumbers, you need electricians, you need guys doing different jobs. We’re looking for size, we’re looking for speed, we’re looking for guys that can penalty kill and guys that can run a power play.
“All different aspects of the game.”
Melville Millionaires sophomore Jadon Iyogun was one of two SJHL players to find the back of the net in Wednesday’s finale, avenging a 4-2 loss to Team MJHL on Tuesday.
“It’s amazing to wear the (maple) leaf and score with it on,” Iyogun said. “I think it’s a pretty cool opportunity and a pretty cool experience. I think I made the most of it.”
Players like Portage Terriers goaltender Mitchell Kathler will now await the decision from Reagan and the rest of the Canada West coaching staff on who the 20 players will be heading to Calgary, moving one step closer to the biggest international tournament in junior A hockey.
“I know what I have to offer,” Kathler said. “I know I’m a big guy and I think I flew under the radar for a little while, but I think I’m starting to make a name (for myself). I just want to show everyone what I’m here for.”
The 2024 Junior A World Challenge will see Canada West and Canada East face off against teams from the United States and Sweden over the week-long tournament, which will take place from Dec. 9 to 15 in Camrose, Alta.
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