New squad staying focused on today
Mitch Love isn’t hung up on expectations and he isn’t looking too far ahead.
“You can’t have a good tomorrow without a good today,” Love said Thursday as his team prepared to open the new Western Hockey League season with a home-andhome series Friday and Saturday against the defending league champion Swift Current Broncos.
“For me, the outlook for myself and the group is just the day-to-day thing. We can’t worry about what the expectations are and what we want to get accomplished if we can’t be good on what we’re doing today and that’s going to be a big message to our group.”
Throughout the pre-season, the first-year Saskatoon Blades coach stressed that he wasn’t particularly interested in the results — despite an impressive 6-1 record — and more interested in the way the Blades performed in terms of team foundation and identity.
“That was more important to me,” he said. “At the end of the day, we still needed to put some things in place and I thought the guys did a real good job of adapting to that and working on things to prepare us for (Friday) night.
“We’ll hit the bus at 2 p.m. and try to find a win in Swift Current.”
OLD AND NEW IN BLUE
Among the returnees from last season are goalie Nolan Maier, defencemen Dawson Davidson, Jackson Caller, Seth Bafaro, Jake Kustra and Randen Schmidt, plus forwards Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, Bradly Goethals, Michael Farren, Logan Christensen, Chase Wouters, Brandon Machado, Josh Paterson and Kirby Dach.
Among the newcomers are European imports Emil Malysjev and Kristian Roykas-marthinsen.
Veteran forward Riley Mckay was acquired during the off-season from the Spokane Chiefs.
Other new faces include G Dorrin Luding, defencemen Aiden De La Gorgendiere, Zach Ashton and Majid Kaddoura, as well as forwards Tristen Robins, Kyle Crnkovic and Brady Nicholas.
“The one kid who has really caught my eye a little bit is Tristen Robins,” Love said. “He’s a bit of a versatile-type kid. He’s played some wing and he’s going to play centre (Friday night). Where he slots in, I’m not sure, but he’s been good.”
Malysjev and De La Gorgendiere have also impressed.
Crnkovic is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
“They ’re young hockey players,” Love said. “They’re going to have their ups and downs in the long Western Hockey League season and that’s our job as coaches to make sure they’re staying on top of their performance.”
LEANING ON KEY VETS
Love is looking for big things from Dach.
“Kirby Dach is a good young hockey player who is obviously going to be under the microscope this season, personally, but he’s such a grounded kid in terms of what he wants to get accomplished,” Love said. “I’ve really enjoyed his practice habits, his day-to-day habits, coming to the rink and wanting to get better.”
Love expects the 20-year-olds — Gerlach, Davidson and Goethals — to be motivated in their final year of junior hockey and lead the way along with captain Wouters and alternate captain Paterson.
“And young Nolan Maier is a guy who’s going to be leaned on heavily,” Love said. “We’re just excited. Lots of guys are going to be needed to chip in here for different aspects of our team if we’re going to be successful.”
OVERAGERS SET FOR NOW
Gage Ramsay and Caleb Fantillo both retired in the off-season, leaving Davidson, Gerlach and Goethals as the team’s three overagers, at least for now.
Gerlach, along with Wouters, Florchuk and Roykas-marthinsen, returned from NHL camps to give a boost to an injury-depleted lineup.
“It’s great to have those guys back,” Love said. “The knowledge and experiences they had at NHL camps, they can share with their teammates and coaching staff. They missed out on a lot of stuff here. (For the opener), they ’ll be a leg behind but we’ll get us caught up to speed and make us a better
THE one kid who HAS really CAUGHT my EYE ... is Tristen Robins. HE’S A Bit of A versatile-type kid.
team, for sure.”
Paterson, Crnkovic and Machado are among the players who are nicked up.
“We’re nursing a few injuries up front that guys are day-to-day on,” Love said. “We’ll get them back when they’re healthy.”
HOME OPENER SATURDAY
The Blades will play their home opener Saturday, at 7 p.m., at Sasktel Centre wearing Humboldt Broncos-inspired jerseys.
Love calls it a “tremendous night” for all affected by the Humboldt tragedy.
“What the organization is doing is a tremendous thing to honour those kids and their families.”
Hockey items will be auctioned and the money, along with the 50/50 proceeds, will go to the Humboldt District Hospital.
“It’s going to be an emotional evening. Home openers are always an unpredictable event. Kids are going to be nervous. There’s going to be a big crowd. We’re going to try and put our best foot forward as a group and honour those families and kids from Humboldt.”