Latest news with #SJHL
Global News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Warman Wolverines receive approval to join SJHL, make franchise's first draft picks
Over his minor hockey career, 15-year-old Camryn Aebig has scored plenty of goals in four years at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex. Now the Warman U15 Double-A Wildcats star will get the chance to return to the city at the junior level, becoming the first SJHL draft pick in the history of the Warman Wolverines franchise on Tuesday. 'It felt good getting drafted to somewhere I've been playing for in the last four years,' Aebig said. 'It's a special moment because it's the first time it's ever happened. That Warman has a Junior A team, it just feels good.' Aebig was selected first overall by the Wolverines in the 2010-born portion of the 2025 SJHL Draft after posting 44 goals and 78 points in 29 games with the Wildcats this season. Set to join the Tisdale U18 Triple-A Trojans next season, the Rosthern product will be a key piece of the Wolverines' future, according to head coach and general manager Brett Pilkington. Story continues below advertisement 'Any time you get the opportunity to add a player to your program of Camryn Aebig's skill and competitive edge is a great day,' Pilkington said. 'He's played in the Warman minor hockey program and he's close to the community, so it makes a lot of sense for us.' The Wolverines coincidentally have enjoyed a lot of great days this week, after the Warman franchise was formally approved by the SJHL's board of governors to begin operations ahead of the 2025-26 season. This comes after the organization gained approval by city council and completed a successful season ticket drive, fulfilling conditions set out as part of the former Notre Dame Hounds' relocation from Wilcox. 'My specialty is behind the bench and recruiting players,' Pilkington said. 'For it to finally come to fruition here, that in September we'll be dropping the puck and have the support of the community, is unbelievable.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The move from Notre Dame to Wilcox came in February following a decision by Athol Murray College of Notre Dame to end its nearly four decades of involvement with the SJHL and focus its efforts on its high school athletic programming. Co-founded by locals Cole Kachur and Jonathan Abrametz, the Warman franchise will be bringing all of the Notre Dame assets north and will be financed by the pair for a period of up to five years before transitioning to a community ownership model. Story continues below advertisement 'Now that we know that we're playing in the fall, now that everything is finalized and crystalized, it's very exciting,' said Abrametz, who will also be assuming the role of team president. '(Monday) we were walking through the arena and we were looking at where the video board is going to go, we were planning about where our players are going to come out. It's just a really exciting time.' In total, the Wolverines introduced five of their new prospects to fans and sponsors on Tuesday at The Cork & Kettle restaurant and bar in Warman, including the first overall pick in the SJHL's 2009-born draft, Rafael Ramazanov. 'It was an awesome feeling to get drafted by this organization, it's just awesome,' Ramazanov said. Committed to joining the Saskatoon U18 Triple-A Blazers in the fall, Ramazanov is fresh off an 18-goal and 51-point campaign with the Saskatoon U18 Double-A Riverkings. 2:08 SJHL's Notre Dame Hounds set to relocate to Warman in conditional sale 'He's a smaller-statured player,' Pilkington said. 'But his willingness to compete, his willingness to score, his vision on the ice and just his character as a human being is just fantastic.' Story continues below advertisement Focus will now shift to training camp in a few months' time for the Wolverines, as they prepare for their inaugural season in the SJHL. Forward Sawyer Scheidt will be aiming to make the jump to the big club in the fall, as the prospect was acquired from the Weyburn Red Wings by Pilkington after his first season with the Saskatoon U18 Triple-A Contacts. A Warman product himself, with his father Tyler playing three seasons with the SJHL's Melfort Mustangs between 1989 and 1992, Sawyer said it is a perfect fit for both him and the community. 'Growing up here, it's really cool to have a SJHL team,' Scheidt said. 'My dad played in the SJHL, so it's an important league I guess to our family and it's really cool to have a team here in Warman.' Warman's inaugural 2009-born draft class also included Prince Albert forward Brady Keith, Saskatoon blue liner Easton Bley, Saskatoon forward Luc Smith and Martensville product Dade Wotherspoon, who is a top prospect of the WHL's Prince George Cougars. For Pilkington, there was an added emphasis this year on picking players with ties to Warman and the surrounding communities to give fans something to latch onto in the years to come. 'To be able to add players that are close to the community or within reason, it was a huge opportunity for us today and moving forward,' Pilkington said. 'If you got local players, the fans are going to support. It comes down to results, but I think with the mix we have, we'll be there.' Story continues below advertisement As part of new rules for the draft, the Wolverines were allowed to auto-protect two players in their zone, compared with a previous rule that allowed SJHL teams to protect as many players as they liked, given they fit on their 50-player list. The Wolverines' two choices on Tuesday were Warman U15 Double-A Wildcats teammates Logan Olsen and Maclain Ethier.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Wolverines make first ever SJHL draft pick
Wolverines make first ever SJHL draft pick The Warman Wolverines selected first overall in June 10th's SJHL draft and say they're focused on attracting local talent
Ottawa Citizen
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Centennial Cup: Hometown hockey hero Zac Somers savours second chance
Article content Zac Somers has gone from Melfort Mustangs fan to a fan favourite. Article content Somers grew up with the Mustangs, attending games religiously while idolizing and worshipping his favourite players like so young fans tend to do. Article content The hometown product is now set to conclude his junior A hockey career at the 2025 Centennial Cup national championship tournament in Calgary as a hometown hero and one of the team's offensive leaders. Article content Article content What a journey it's been. Article content Article content A year ago, the Mustangs were playing in the 2024 Centennial Cup national championship final but Somers sat on the sidelines, unable to play after failing to get medical clearance following a concussion. Article content 'It was tough — probably one of the hardest points of my career — watching them go to war and not be able to be out there with them,' admits Somers, a 5-foot-11, 166-pound forward. 'But hoping to help them out this year.' Article content Somers has more than helped so far. He led his team through the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs with eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in 14 games. Article content Melfort will open up this year's tournament Thursday in Calgary against the host Canucks. Article content 'Obviously, it's a great experience — it's going to be awesome,' said Somers. 'Especially (after) last year, (when) I was sidelined. I wasn't allowed to play. But being able to play for your hometown — a lot of guys don't get that opportunity — and be able to win two (SJHL) championships and be able to go to two nationals, it's unreal. It's something that's really special and something I'm really grateful for.' Article content Article content Somers was able to mount a comeback this season and led his team to a second-straight SJHL championship title with 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 34 games. Article content Article content 'A little bit of a relief,' said Somers. 'It took it a little while, once I got back on the ice, to get back into it, but I stayed pretty healthy this year and I'm hoping for a pretty good run here.' Article content He didn't even know if was going to be able to play until early September. Six weeks of rehabilitation followed before he returned to the ice. Article content 'It,' admitted Somers, 'was a long haul to get back.' Article content Somers committed to the NCAA's University of Maine Black Bears two years ago but admits that some NCAA rule changes have somewhat clouded his hockey future. Article content 'I'm not too sure,' said Somers. It's kind of all up in the air with the new rules and stuff, so I'm not too sure at the moment. With all the major junior rules changing, we'll see what happens.'
CTV News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Talking to the SJHL Champions Melfort Mustangs
Talking to the SJHL Champions Melfort Mustangs Learn how the Melfort Mustangs are preparing for a return to the Centennial Cup after winning the SJHL for a second straight season
Ottawa Citizen
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Melfort Mustangs win back-to-back SJHL championships
Article content Melfort Mustangs have now repeated that feat twice since 2015 under head coach and general manager Trevor Blevins. Article content 'I'm not the easiest coach to play for,' admits Blevins, whose Mustangs captured their second straight Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship title Sunday night after taking the best-of-seven final series in five games over the Weyburn Red Wings, 'but these guys bought in and they bought in every day.' Article content Article content The Mustangs hoisted the Canterra Seeds Cup following a 3-0 shutout win over the Red Wings before 2,000 fans at the Northern Lights Palace, taking the series four games to one and giving up only three goals in the five games as goalie Kristian Coombs posted three shutouts. Article content Article content 'They play the right way, each guy,' Blevins said of his team. 'You can't help but love each one of them. It was a fantastic effort (in the SJHL final) all the way down the line-up. I'm so proud of them. They deserve it.' Article content Through 14 playoff games overall, Melfort allowed only 19 goals in total. Article content Melfort also won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. 'Best feeling in the world,' said Mustangs captain and defenceman Ty Thornton, who was named the playoff MVP for this season's post-season run. 'Obviously you can look and see back-to-back. It's amazing. I didn't know that (playoff MVP award) was going to happen. That's awesome. To be on this team this year and have this experience, I'll never forget.' Article content Article content Zach Turner, Reilley Kotai and Logan Belton, with an empty-netter, scored in Game 5 for Melfort, which outshot Weyburn 35-16 as Coombs posted another shutout. Article content Article content The Mustangs took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a convincing 5-1 win Thursday night in Weyburn, where Thornton, Nolan Roberts, Zac Somers, Zayden Sadlemyer and Danton Cox each tallied once. Article content The Mustangs finished first overall in the SJHL this season with a 46-8-0-2 record, while Weyburn was third at 35-19-2-0. Article content 'Forget about the past,' said Thornton. 'Our regular season was insane but we forget about the past. Every game is a new game. We started fresh every time and I think that helped us a lot.' Article content Melfort now moves on to the Centennial Cup for the second straight year. A year ago, the Mustangs reached the national junior A championship final, only to lose 1-0 to the Collingwood, Ont. Blues in Oakville, Ont.
