Tate Page

It is hard to miss Tate Page out on the ice and the 19-year-old defenceman for the Kindersley Klippers certainly lets the opposition know when he is out there too.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, the Vanderhoof, B.C., product takes up a lot of space, but he is also very protective of it as he plays with plenty of grit as his 233 minutes of penalties in the last year and a half will attest to.

Page racked up 142 minutes in penalties in 39 games as a rookie one year ago and while that number is down this season – 91 minutes in 33 games – he has also improved on other elements of his game.  Last season Page scored twice and added three assists in his first tour of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League while this time around he has one goal and six helpers in six fewer games.

Prior to joining the Klippers, Page spent two seasons with the 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and in 101 games over that span his play was consistent with what has been on display in the SJHL.

Page scored eight times and assisted on 12 others while with the Wranglers, but he also collected 232 minutes in penalties. Page also gained valuable playoff experience while with 100 Mile House as he appeared in 31 post-season games over the two seasons helping the Wranglers claim the league championship in his final year.

The Klippers have played at the .500 level so far this season and with that they appear to be destined to play in the Wild Card round when the playoffs begin in just under two months. Page will certainly play a role in the Klippers’ stretch run and if his continued improvement and huge physical presence remain constant then Kindersley could be in a position to surprise other teams in the near future.