It's been quite an eventful hockey season so far for Corwin Stevely.
First the Regina native made the SMAAAHL's Yorkton Harvest out of training camp for the second straight season.
Then he was named Yorkton Harvest team captain, an honour bestowed on the player deemed to be the most influential and respected by not only his teammates, but his coaches as well.
Now the 5'11, 165 pound centre has found himself earning regular playing time with one of the SJHL's top teams, the Yorkton Terriers; an accomplishment that an AP (Affiliated Player) can rarely lay claim to.
But an accomplishment that Stevely nonetheless has earned, picking up one goal and three assists in six SJHL games and, in the process, becoming a fan favourite among the locals at the Farrell Agencies Arena thanks largely to his style of play, which is akin to that of Boston Bruins diminutive agitator Brad Marchand. "I've always just kind of been one of those guys who works hard, likes to hit and tries to produce offence," said Stevely in an interview following the Terriers 5-1 home victory over Melfort. "Playing physical is one of the main goals of my game and anytime I can make a positive impact is good."
Physicality is definitely something that is noticed whenever Stevely takes to the ice. What many fail to notice, however, is that Stevely not only plays physical, but plays smart and keeps the game simple. Something an AP player has to do to be successful at the SJHL level. "I know my role out there and just try to get the puck deep, get hard on bodies and yeah, just keep it simple," mentioned Stevely.
He also touched on the fact that the SJHL is a step up from midget AAA. "It's a lot faster and there is a lot more skill but it's not too crazy of a step up so it's good. It's a great experience."
It's also a great experience for Stevely to find a spot in the positive and upbeat Terriers locker room where he can see first-hand how a successful team operates. Something that he hopes he can bring back to the struggling Harvest once their season picks up again later this month. "I think the positivity of this team (Terriers) and what I've learned from the older guys will carry back with me and maybe I'll be able to pass that on to the younger guys on the Harvest."
As an affiliated player Stevely has at the very most four more games with the Terriers this season meaning he'll have the opportunity to show his Harvest teammates just what it is that he has learned while with the Terriers.
The reason he has just four more games in the SJHL this season is simple. An affiliated player can only play a maximum of 10 games with his SJHL club.
However, Stevely can rejoin the Terriers once the Harvest season is finished, assuming the Terriers are still playing at that time and are in need of his services.
