Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

Daniel Liberty

MELVILLE MILLIONAIRES

The Melville Millonaires have struggled to put the puck in the opposing net this season having scored the fewest goals among the 12 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League entries.

Having a defenceman being among the team leaders in production kind of emphasizes that point a bit more, but Daniel Liberty is making the most out of his opportunity and has already equalled his entire output from last year – in half as many games.

The 19-year-old Liberty has 12 points in 23 games and his six goals is just one off the team lead in that category. Included in the 6-foot-2, 190-pound, Edmonton product’s totals are four power-play markers and one game-winning tally which shows he is being used in all situations.

Liberty came to the Millionaires last season after three years of Midget AAA hockey where he spent two seasons with Knights of Columbus Pats in the Alberta Midget Hockey League and one year with the KC Centennials at the minor-midget level. As a 15-year-old with the Centennials, Liberty collected 27 points in 34 games resulting in his move to the higher level for the next two years where he had six goals and 17 assists in 67 games.

Liberty, who had his first taste of Junior “A” hockey as a 17-year-old when he played a pair of games for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Drayton Valley Thunder, is a big part of the Millionaires as they battle the Weyburn Red Wings and La Ronge Ice Wolves for the final playoff spot. Liberty helped the Millionaires make a return to the post-season last year and he will undoubtedly play a big role in the club achieving a similar outcome this time around. There is still plenty of hockey left this year and with players like Liberty having a career year despite a lack of team success, moving even higher is still a very strong possibility.