REGINA, SK
Melville looking to build on its star power
Year after year, Mils’ head coach Doug Johnson’s teams are known for stifling defence, and enough offence to be a tough out for anyone.
Johnson will undoubtedly look to set his club’s identity as one that takes care of its own end first. Yet, it is perhaps a slight irony that in Kale Margolis, Rylan Oatman, and Preston Baerwald, he boasts three of the most dynamically offensive forwards in the league heading into 26/27.
All told, he expects to return seven important men up front, as well as a crew of defencemen, led by veteran puck mover Louis Nadeau, who are looking to step seamlessly into bigger roles after the graduation of iconic SJHL blue liners Boston Harkness and Wesley Golden.
Newcomers like the one-time Kamloops Blazers prospect Hudson Closson and the shifty Cole Brown should add to an already impressive array of experienced attackers. At the same time, long-time SJHL 1B Preston Patenaude will battle with newly arrived Noah Kraus for the crease, once he returns from an early-season injury, in a tandem that on paper looks as good as any in the league.
Wesley Olson, full of heart and effort despite his size, who made Team SJHL’s Western All-Star Challenge squad a year ago, is a great bet for one of the breakout stars of the league this year.
Given the star power the Mils have, and have not had in as many numbers in several years, there is perhaps as much reason for optimism at the CN Community Centre as there has been since the mid-2010s.
Let’s take a look at some key numbers from the last regular season for Melville:
SJHL Co-Director of Media Clark Munroe sat down with Head Coach/GM Doug Johnson ahead of the 26/27 season and got his thoughts on the upcoming year.
