Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

Mils dip deep into CSSHL ranks

~ Article courtesy CSSHL.ca

A total of five Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL) alumni have been signed by the Melville Millionaires for the 2021/22 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season.

Teammates Austin Lusok and Zach Nicholls will join Matthew Strilets, Louis-Frédéric Théberge and Jake Watson with the Millionaires next season.

Lusok has spent the past three seasons at OHA Edmonton, most recently suiting up for their U18 Prep team after joining the program at the U16 Prep level. In 75 CSSHL games the Edmonton, AB defenseman recorded 44 points.

Originally from Chestermere, AB, Nicholls joined the CSSHL in 2017/18 with the Edge School U15 Prep team. He would play two more seasons with the Edge in the U16 Prep and U17 Prep divisions, before joining the OHA Edmonton U18 Prep team this past season. The forward tallied 87 points in 105 CSSHL games.

A four-year Shawnigan Lake School student-athlete, Strilets joined the CSSHL at the U15 Prep level in 2017/18. He would spend the following year playing for their U17 Prep team, winning the division’s Top Defenseman Award and a CSSHL League Championship. He would spend his last two years at Shawnigan with their U18 Prep team. In 93 CSSHL games he managed 10 goals and 23 assists.

Although he was unable to play any CSSHL games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Théberge spent the 2020/21 season with the Mount Academy Saints U18 Prep team. Selected in the fourth round, 53rd overall by Gatineau Flames in the 2020 Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) Draft, the 2003 born defenseman is from Rouyn-Noranda, QC.

From Ashington, Great Britain, Watson has spent four years with RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna, joining the program in 2017/18 with their U15 team. He would play for their U16 Prep team in 2018/19 before spending the last two seasons in the U18 Prep division. In 104 CSSHL games the forward has 46 points.