~ Image courtesy Yorkton Terriers
The Yorkton Terriers have had more than their fair share of stars over the last four years, but consistently yet quietly going about his business in the middle of any success the club has had has been Tyson Janzen.
Janzen, now 20, is one of the very few to be in his fourth season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 2021-2022, and while his ice time has been relatively steady throughout his Terriers’ career, the offence is starting to explode.
Through 28 games at the time of writing, the big 6-foot-2, 181-pound defenceman has five goals and 11 points, already equalling the career-high he set as a rookie in 18-19 in 53 contests.
Yet defence has and always will be Janzen’s calling card, and he has been a critical element in the Terriers’ impressive ability to be stingy, as they have allowed only 72 goals-against, the league’s second-stingiest, and killed penalties at a rate of 88.1 percent.
A native of Saskatoon, the 2001-birth year was drafted by Yorkton in the sixth round, 63rd overall in the 2016 SJHL Draft, and went on play to two seasons for his hometown Contacts U18s. Janzen made the loaded and veteran 18-19 Terriers as an important contributor while only a young 17-year-old, joining the likes of Chantz Petruic, Jared Legien, and Brendan Mark on the club’s run to the third round of playoffs that year.
Rangy, smooth, and smart, Janzen does his job with positioning and stick work, more than big-time physicality, and alongside Parker Jasper is part of one of the top and most-difficult-to-score-on defence-pairings in the league.
