Last year’s run to the Canterra Seeds Cup Final was magical, and even though they fell in five games to the eventual champion Melfort Mustangs, Cody Mapes’ men were right in every single game.
The 24/25 Red Wings also get the distinction of being the last ever Viterra Division champions, as the division has been renamed the ‘Bunge’ Division, after Bunge’s merger with Viterra.
Although they lost a significant crew to graduation, including three of the most electric individual offensive players we’ve seen in the league this millennium – Jerome Maharaj, Ethan Dekay, and Max Chakrabarti – to graduation, a really strong corps is back this year, and they were along for that ride. Last year’s experience should serve this year’s group well.
If the forward corps was the highlight of last year’s team, this year might be led on the back end. In the smooth skating of Simon Martin, the gritty and two-way play of Luke Schraeder and Josh Karman, and the physically bruising presence of Jonah Bierd, Weyburn’s Top 4 blue liners might be among the best in the league to start. Mapes is over-the-moon enthusiastic for the potential of Ty Matonovich as the new No. 1 goaltender.
Up front, there is still an excellent group of returnees, who might be more on the dependable two-way side than last year’s bunch that could overwhelm you with skill. With Lucas Schmid, one of the best face-off men in the league a year ago, and the underrated Drew Molde, Mapes should feel good about his depth in situational centremen. In contrast, speedster Turner McIntyre’s start to the year was brilliant before it was derailed by injury. Luke Dekay, the younger brother of Ethan, and Josh Sale, acquired at the deadline with Matanovich from Humboldt for club icon Dazza Mitchell, look poised to take a step forward in role and production, and will be at the forefront of defining what this year’s forwards look like at the newly renamed ‘Whitecap Resources Centre’.
Let’s take a look at some key numbers from the last regular season for the Red Wings:
SJHL Co-Director of Media Jamie Neugebauer sat down with Head Coach/GM Cody Mapes in the SCSA Coaches’ Show ahead of the 25/26 season and got his thoughts on the upcoming year.
