REGINA, SK
Nipawin’s time to win is now
With all due respect to previous incarnations of this generation of Hawks, the time to win is now.
Loaded with talent and experience all over the ice, and possessing the consensus top goaltender in the league in Gage Roberts, expectations for Nipawin should be as high as they possibly can heading into this campaign.
Kozun, in concert with the Kindersley Klippers, pulled off the biggest trade of the off-season, bringing in 193 games of top-line SJHL centreman experience in the form of Brock Evans, and along with Ashton Tait, Will Whitter, and Jack Janzen, the Hawks can boast four pivots who could arguably play on any top line in the league.
Left winger Mason Karakochuk is the league’s leading returning point-getter and is a solid way-too-early bet to lead the league in scoring this time around.
The back end will be led by local boy and power-play quarterback Raydr Wallington, who took a huge step forward a season ago, as well as fellow vets Hudson Gainer, Mason Eggen, and Jack Mitchell, and with all the seasoning this roster has top to bottom, there truly are no excuses at the Centennial Arena this season.
One new man to watch is Jeremy Wehrens, another dangerous offensive player, who is coming off nine goals and 12 points in seven playoff games in Saskatchewan U18AAA a year ago with his Saskatoon Blazers.
Let’s take a look at some key numbers from the last regular season for Nipawin:
SJHL Co-Director of Media Clark Munroe sat down with Head Coach and General Manager Tad Kozun ahead of the 26/27 season and got his thoughts on the upcoming year.
