HUMBOLDT — It’s not December, but the lyrics “It's the most wonderful time of the year” likely reflect the feeling of many postseason-bound hockey players right now.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs start for the Humboldt Broncos on Friday. After posting the second-best record (45-13-0-0) in the league, the squad tangles with the No. 7-seeded La Ronge Ice Wolves (29-24-1-4). Broncos veteran defenceman Cody Hough is looking forward to the atmosphere the playoffs bring.
“Everyone is at their peak performance and putting their best efforts forward on the ice,” he said.
The Broncos head into the postseason on a six-game winning streak and with a 9-1-0-0 record in their last 10 games, while La Ronge was 5-4-0-1 over the same stretch. In the regular season, the Humboldt team was 3-1-0-0 against the Ice Wolves.
“Obviously, we want to use our home ice advantage,” Broncos head coach Scott Barney said. “Hopefully we get a full rink here at the [Elgar Petersen Arena]. Our fans have been great all season like they always are. Hopefully that continues here in the playoffs.”
He said that the Ice Wolves are a strong team with great goaltending. The Broncos counter with some great netminding of their own. Humboldt goaltender Rayce Ramsay set the SJHL record for wins in a season with 41. With only one game remaining in the SJHL season, Ramsay, whose Broncos had wrapped things up, was second in the league with a 1.98 goals against average and a .930 save percentage.
At the other end of the ice, the talented Broncos boasted four of the SJHL’s top 11 scorers. They were led by Connor McGrath, who paced the league with 84 points and 50 assists in 56 games. He had a team-high 34 goals. Other Broncos in the top 11 in scoring were Alec Saretzky (62 points in 58 games), seventh; Matthew Perkins (59 in 57), ninth; and Braiden Koran (56 in 55), 11th. On the blueline, Humboldt’s own Noah Barlage was second in scoring among SJHL defencemen with 42 points in 58 games.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of last season after just six games for the Broncos (5-1-0-0), this will be the team’s first playoff foray since 2020. During that season, a young and talented Humboldt team earned a postseason berth and fell in four games in the first round to an experienced Flin Flon crew.
“I remember in my first playoff game we were in Flin Flon playing against the Bombers. This was the year where they were supposed to win it all,” said Hough, alluding to how the pandemic shut down the playoffs after the first round. “They were a lot older team than us and they were blasting ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica, which is a heavy metal band, through the speakers in the rink while they were doing pregame skate. I was shaking from my nerves, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it now. What I’m most excited for now is that we are now the older team and making our playoff push.”
The Broncos are considered one of the favourites to vie for the SJHL championship. They won the Global Ag Risk Solutions division crown and finished second in the league standings. Humboldt led the SJHL in wins with 45. The Broncos were just one point back of Estevan (43-10-2-3), 91-90, in the league standings.
“The biggest thing during the regular season that stood out to me was the resiliency,” Barney said. “After any kind of loss, we’ve always bounced back and had a really strong performance. Consistency throughout, to have a season like that with the low amount of losses, is a credit to all those players in that dressing room. We had a big turnover in players from last year to this year. It takes a little bit to gel, but these players came together really quickly and formed a special bond in the dressing room.”
The Broncos last week
Friday, March 11 in Kindersley
Humboldt 8, Kindersley 1
Broncos Scorers: Connor McGrath (2), Noah Barlage, Jerzy Orchard, Matthew Perkins, Ethan Zielke, Alec Saretzky, Cage Newans
Klippers Scorer: Tylin Hilbig
Goalies: Rayce Ramsay, Humboldt, 17 saves on 18 shots; Brett Sweet, Kindersley, 47 on 55
Attendance: 344
Notes: The Broncos capped the regular season in dominant fashion. Thirteen Broncos recorded at least a point.
The Quote
“Our players are working on the small details of the game. … Just staying focused on that part of the game. Sometimes when you already know what’s set as far as where we’re seeded, it’s hard mentally but we’re battling hard in practice. That’s the biggest thing – just stay ready.”
— Broncos coach Scott Barney, whose team was 9-1-0-0 in its last 10.
Eric Headed to TWU
Defenceman Nicksha Eric has announced his commitment to Trinity Western University. The Langley, B.C.-based school squad competes at the U Sports level.
“Trinity Western is getting one of the top D-men in the SJHL,” Humboldt head coach Scott Barney said. “His ability to skate, gap, react, and read the game is at an elite level. Nic has put in a lot of work and it’s great to see him rewarded with this commitment, vey well deserved.”
The 20-year-old Calgary product has played three seasons with the Broncos. He had three goals and 20 points in 46 games this season.
The TWU Spartans roster includes former Broncos such as Luke Spadafora, Jarrett Penner, and Bogress.
This Week
The Humboldt Broncos (45-13-0-0) take on the 29-24-1-4 La Ronge Ice Wolves in the first round of the SJHL playoffs. Game 1 is Friday at the Elgar Petersen Arena. The full schedule was not available at the Journal deadline.
