FORT QU'APPELLE - Several hockey players from southeast Saskatchewan helped the Fort Knox junior hockey club win its first-ever Prairie Junior Hockey League's championship.
Fort Knox, which plays out of Fort Qu'Appelle, defeated the Saskatoon Westleys 4-0 on April 10 to win the best-of-seven junior B league final in six games. Jackson Miller, an Estevan hockey product who spent two-plus seasons with the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins before being traded to Manitoba, and joined Fort Knox midway through the season, made 27 saves to get the shutout victory.
He went 5-1 in the postseason with a 1.13 goals against average and a .964 save percentage.
Another goaltender, Zane Winter of Carlyle, also had a big part in Fort Knox's success, going 6-1 with a 2.55 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
Other players from the southeast were:
- Defenceman Austin Davis of Redvers. He had one assist in 14 playoff games;
- Defenceman Landon Kaban of Estevan, who had three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 14 postseason contests;
- Defenceman Colton Pushie, also of Estevan, who had one assist in two playoff games;
- Forward Colby Cuddington of Manor, who was held pointless in five playoff games;
- Forward Spence Copeland of Alameda, who contributed four goals and three assists for seven points in 13 games;
- Forward Trae DeDecker of Kipling, who had a goal and two assists for three points in 14 games.
- Forward Keagan Ksenych, also of Kipling, held pointless in two playoff games;
Also part of the team as an affiliated player was defenceman Ryder Miller of Estevan, who played one regular season game for Fort Knox.
