Spotlight on our Young Guns
Nipawin Hawks, LW
It would take some digging, but it is probably a pretty safe bet that Tyler Adams belongs to a very select group and the number of members in that particular group would have just one name – Tyler Adams.
When the Nipawin Hawks captured the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship with a thrilling seven-game victory over the Estevan Bruins it marked the third major championship for the recently-turned 21-year-old from Regina.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound power forward was a member of the 2014-15 Regina Pat Canadians that captured the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League title and last season he was a part of the Seattle Thunderbirds that claimed the Western Hockey League championship.
In both of his previous championship seasons, the teams that Adams was a part of failed to finish the job with a national title as the Pat Canadians had to settle for a bronze medal at the 2015 Telus Cup while the Thunderbirds were winless in three starts at the 2017 Memorial Cup. Adams is hoping to complete his junior career in style as the Hawks’ quest for an RBC Cup continues with a match-up against the Steinbach Pistons in the Anavet Cup.
Adams has only been with the Hawks since the start of the current calendar year, but he has certainly made his mark with the club. In 15 regular-season games Adams tallied nine goals and added three assists, but he brought some grit to the team as he racked up 150 minutes in penalties during that time. So far in the post-season he has collected eight points in the 12 games he has appeared in while piling up another 82 minutes in penalties.
Adams split the last two seasons with Seattle and the Swift Current in the WHL and with the Thunderbirds he gained valuable experience playing in all 20 post-season games en route to the championship and another three contests at the Mastercard Memorial Cup.
His two seasons with the Pat Canadians were also productive as he totalled 67 points in 87 regular-season games and at the Telus Cup he collected another four points in seven matches.
His experience in big-game situations will be invaluable for the Hawks and his presence will only add another dimension to an already solid squad. Adams is in the final stretch of his junior career and he will be looking to end it with an elusive national championship. Maybe third time will be the charm.
Nipawin Hawks, D
Leaders are supposed to lead by example and not too many do it better than Nipawin Hawks’ captain Carter Doerksen.
A mainstay of the Nipawin blueline brigade for four years, the 5-foot-10, 187-pound Swift Current product scored his first playoff goal of the season in the biggest game of the year when he opened the scoring in the Hawks’ Canalta Cup-clinching victory over the Estevan Bruins on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Doerksen has just five points in 16 post-season games, but his rock-solid play in his own zone is a big reason why the Hawks allowed the fewest goals during the regular season and were once again one of the stingiest in their run to their first league title in 28 years.
Doerksen has appeared in 178 regular-season games with Nipawin over the last four seasons scoring eight goals and assisting on 43 more. This past season, his final one at the junior level, was his most productive as he registered four goals and 16 helpers in 52 games.
During his time in Nipawin, Doerksen has been to the semi-final round all four years which has resulted in him appearing in 51 post-season tilts. That experience has been extremely beneficial to the team and will continue to bode well in the future as Nipawin looks to get past the Steinbach Pistons in the Anavet Cup and claim a berth in the RBC Cup to be held in Chilliwack, B.C., next month.
Prior to joining the Hawks, Doerksen spent two seasons with his hometown Swift Current Legionnaires in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. Doerksen was just as consistent at that level as he has shown in his time in Nipawin as he registered 17 points in 80 regular-season games while providing a little bit of grit on the back end with just under 100 minutes in penalties. With the Hawks, Doerksen has amassed 395 minutes in penalties showing he isn’t scared to get mixed up in the physical aspect of the game.
Leadership, tenacity, experience and an abundance of skill and hockey smarts is what Doerksen brings to the table each and every game and the Hawks will certainly be leaning on all of that as they look to extend their season for another month.
Faces in The Glass
NIPAWIN HAWKS, F
As the Nipawin Hawks get set for their Canalta Cup Final series against Estevan, they've been riding the hot hand of 20-year-old forward Brandan Arnold. After 60-points in just 43 regular season games, Arnold has racked up 9-goals and 14-points in 9-games. He's had four multi-point games in those nine, including a four point effort (1g-3a) in his first outing against Flin Flon in Game 1, and then two goals and an assist, including the winner in triple overtime against Humboldt on April 4th. The Hawks host Games 1 & 2 of the Canalta Cup Final April 14th and 15th.
ESTEVAN BRUINS, F
With a lot of high-profile scorers in the Estevan Bruins' forward group, it's been fair to say that Jake Fletcher has flown under the radar during his three year career. He was obviously noticed by Chris Lewgood and the Bruins' coaching staff however, as he was given the captaincy for his 20-year-old campaign. Fletcher had a career-high 23-goals and 62-points this season, and through nine games in these playoffs, Fletcher has led the Bruins to an 8-1 record, with a team-high 8-goals, while his 13-points has him one back of teammate Michael McChesney as they get set to kick off the Canalta Cup Final in Nipawin.
HUMBOLDT, COACH / ESTEVAN, F
16 people tragically lost their lives in the Humboldt Broncos' bus crash the evening of Saturday, April 6th, 2018. Among them, was Broncos' Assistant Coach Mark Cross, a Strasbourg, SK product who had just wrapped up a fantastic junior and university playing career, and a budding coaching star. Cross played three seasons with the Estevan Bruins, playing 166 games between 2008-2011, putting up 38-goals and 89-points. He then furthered his hockey and academics at York University in Ontario for five full seasons, where he had 47-points in 137 CIS (USPORTS) games. Cross played a season of senior hockey with his hometown Strasbourg Maroons last season (17GP-16g-23a-39p) while he coached AA Midget in Lumsden/Bethune, before joining Darcy Haugan's staff in Humboldt this season.
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