Borstmayer boasts winning pedigree
Former Rockets forward learned what it takes to succeed in WHL after playing for Memorial Cup
Jordan Borstmayer brings insider experience from the Memorial Cup to the Vancouver Giants.
The 19-year-old forward, who Vancouver picked up from Kelowna last week in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2017 Western Hockey League bantam draft, was a black ace — an extra roster player — with the Rockets team that went to the 2015 national championship tournament hosted by the Quebec Remparts.
Borstmayer, a third-round pick by the Rockets in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, had spent the majority of his 16-year-old season playing in the Saskatchewan midget league with the Saskatoon Contacts.
The Rockets, led by trade pickup Leon Draisaitl, lost 2-1 in overtime in the Memorial Cup final to the Oshawa Generals.
“Just being around the guys was good,” says Borstmayer. “There was some high-end talent on that team. Being on the ice after the Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup (the WHL championship) was special.
“I learned in Kelowna what it takes to win. I’m looking forward to trying to help bring some of that experience to the Giants.”
That Rockets’ Memorial Cup team featured forward Rourke Chartier, who at 20 is playing for the San Jose Sharks’ American Hockey League affiliate. His dad Marc had been Borstmayer’s coach with the Contacts. With their difference in age, Borstmayer and Rourke never spent much time together until Borstmayer joined the Rockets for that memorable playoff run.
“With Marc, I learned the little things,” says Borstmayer, who just celebrated his birthday on Monday, meaning that he has two more years of WHL eligibility after this one. “And he always talked about working hard and having fun. He believed that if you were doing that, you would be successful.”
Borstmayer, a right-handed shot who is listed at 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, comes to the Langley Events Centre-based Giants with a reputation for being strong in his own zone and good on faceoffs. In 96 regular-season games spread over three seasons with Kelowna, he had six goals, six assists, 14 penalty minutes and a minus-22 rating.
He joined Vancouver for the final two games of their road trip last weekend and had no points against Medicine Hat and Kootenay.
“I want to establish more of an offensive role here,” says the younger brother of Tyler Borstmayer, 23, a one-time Regina Pats defenceman who is now at the University of Saskatchewan. “I want to work on my
Next game Friday
Moose Jaw Warriors at Vancouver Giants, 7:30 p.m., Langley Events Centre, TSN 1040 AM shot, I want to work on my hands. I want to work on some of those individual skills, which will ultimately help the team.”
Borstmayer is from tiny St. Brieux, Sask., (population 590) and started skating when he was one.
“There’s a rink in town and there’s public skating every Sunday afternoon and anyone can go. They found some little skates for me and I was out there basically just stepping around,” he says. “You don’t really remember that, of course.
“My oldest hockey memory has to be playing for the local team in town, the St. Brieux Nordiques. It was the traditional Nordiques jersey with St. Brieux.”
Poke checks
The Giants are expected to have trade-deadline pickups Jordan Wharrie (a defenceman acquired from Brandon in the Dmitry Osipov deal) and Calvin Spencer (a forward acquired for a draft pick from Swift Current) when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday at the Langley Events Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN 1040).
Forward Bartek Bison, who was part of the trade that saw Radovan Bondra go to the Prince George Cougars, is injured and isn’t expected to play. Vancouver veterans Tyler Benson (undisclosed) and Darian Skeoch (ankle) are among a long list of Giants questionable for the game.
The Giants (16-23-1-2) have lost three straight and are eight points out of a playoff spot.
Thomas Foster, who left in the Brayden Watts deal, is expected to play for Moose Jaw (25-10-6-1), the second-place team in the East Division.