Penalties sunk the Moose Jaw Warriors on the scoreboard in their preseason opener on Tuesday night as they lost 4-0 to the Swift Current Broncos at Mosaic Place.
However, there was more to the game than the score as the Warriors dressed a lineup that included three 15-year-olds, seven 16-year-olds and just three returning players from last year’s team.
Moose Jaw is coming away impressed with how those young players handled themselves, many in their first WHL action.
“(Daemon) Hunt, (Brayden) Tracey, those guys played well; the older guys, Jaxan Kaluski played real well; I like what I see with Drae Gardiner, smart, heads up hockey player; so lots of skill on display and the future is bright for our 01 and 02s in this organization,” said Head Coach Tim Hunter.
The Warriors use the preseason opener every season to give new signings a chances to see what playing at the WHL level is about.
2017 third round pick Peyton McKenzie, who stands in at just five-foot-seven, enjoyed his first taste of junior hockey.
“My first couple of shifts was just feeling out, but after I got into it, it felt like I could show my skills,” said McKenzie after the game.
Despite his size, McKenzie didn’t shy away from battles in the corner and drove the puck to the net on a few occasions for quality scoring chances. The 15-year-old said he doesn’t like to play scared.
“I’m already a small guy, so if I play scared it’s just that much worse and doesn’t go well,” said McKenzie. “I handled myself really well actually, they didn’t have anything on me (battling in the corners).”
Defenceman Chase Hartje was one of the older players in the lineup for the Warriors as the 17-year-old looks to crack the team’s lineup this season.
Hartje put together a strong game, going end-to-end on a highlight reel rush in the second period that ended in a quality scoring chance.
“Offence is definitely a big part of my game and I like to show that little,” said the Bemidji, MN product.
The smooth skating defenceman added that he still needs to clean up his defensive play and when he takes chances, but feels that will come with more experience.
Hunter said he came away impressed with the skill that Hartje possess.
“Chase has had a good camp, he’s one of those guys that’s got learn the right time and the right way, he’s only played high school hockey, so it’s a big learning curve for him here,” said Hunter.
“We’re encouraging him to be creative, skate with the puck, move the puck a little quicker, but the old saying is, ‘It’s a lot easier to hold the reigns back on a thoroughbred than it is to whip a donkey,’ and he’s definitely a thoroughbred.”
After playing high school hockey last season, Hartje said he enjoyed the test of his first WHL game.
“It went pretty well, I played at the junior level a little bit at the end of last year, so this just felt normal,” he said.
“I’m ready to see what the older guys can do and just go from there.”
16-year-old top prospect Brayden Tracey is looking to earn a spot on the Warriors’ roster this season and put together a strong start on Tuesday. He had a number of chances in tight, including ringing a shot off the post in the first period, but wasn’t able to convert.
“I thought I fit in very well, I had a couple of chances, I hit the post a couple of times, I just need to capitalize a bit better,” he said.
Tracey said the biggest takeaway he had was that he feels more comfortable at this level this season and that should transfer into more success, “Last year it was a very quick game, so I worked on getting faster because I thought that would help me a bit more,” he said.
The Warriors will look to learn from the experiences gained during Tuesday’s preseason opener as they get set for two more games this week. Moose Jaw will face the Broncos again on Thursday afternoon in Regina as part of the Pats’ annual preseason tournament. Puck drops at 3 p.m. They also take on the Pats on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Fri, Apr 19, 1:00 PM
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