The Yorkton Terriers were in Weyburn to face the Red Wings Saturday in Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League action.
After a scoreless first period the Wings took a lead in the second as Erik Olson struck on the powerplay at the 16:57 mark.
It would be a second powerplay goal, this one by Carson Scheschuk at 8:39 of the third that would give Weyburn a 2-0 lead.
Chantz Petruic would cut the lead in half with a Terrier goal at 10:27, but that would be as close as they would get as the Wings marked a 2-1 win.
Joe Marcouiller took the loss in the Yorkton net facing 34-shots, the same number Arik Weersink faced in the Weyburn net to earn the win.
Terrier coach Mat Hehr placed much of the blame for the loss on his own shoulders suggesting he hasn鈥檛 spent enough time in practice working on the penalty kill.
鈥淚 thought five-on-five we played a great game,鈥� he said, adding overall the effort was there in Weyburn.
As for the penalty kill Hehr said it will be the focus of more time in practice moving forward.
The loss is the Terriers third in a row, leaving the team with a record of 8-27-2-1 for 19 points, last in the SJHL鈥檚 Sherwood Division, nine points behind third place Melville. Estevan leads the Sherwood with 50 points, two better than Weyburn with 48.
Deadline moves
The Terriers did make a couple of moves on the SJHL trade deadline.
The Melfort Mustangs traded Josh Dobberthien to the Yorkton Terriers in exchange for 2018 2nd round draft pick and a 2019 6th round pick.
Hehr said Dobberthien is a player he has had his eye on for a while.
鈥淗e鈥檚 (Dobberthien) big, and really skilled guy who really hasn鈥檛 got a chance to play with his last two teams,鈥� offered the Terrier coach.
Hehr said at six-foot-two Dobberthien can be a physical presence, adding 鈥渉e鈥檚 a left-handed shot which is something I鈥檝e been looking for all year.鈥�
Yorkton Terriers trade Ben McLennan to the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
Showcase
The SJHL hosted the first showcase against the Manitoba Jr A Hockey League (MJHL) at the Co-operators Centre in Regina Monday and Tuesday, this week.
The two-day showcase event featured the top-120 hockey players from both provincial leagues between the ages of 17 to 19 years of age. Top players were selected by a committee and the coaches within each league to make up six teams to play against one another (three SJHL teams will play against three MJHL teams).
The lone Terrier participating in the event was forward Cody Bruchkowski on the SJHL鈥檚 Team Schwartz.
Hehr said he hoped the event would open some doors for Bruchkowski for his future beyond the Terriers and SJHL.
A more immediate impact may be giving Bruchkowski a push in terms of his current performance.
鈥淗opefully it will mean more confidence for him down the road,鈥� said Hehr.
Hehr too said he was looking forward to the Showcase being a learning experience for him as a coach.
To start with the games are a chance to get a look at the best-on-best in both leagues, knowledge that is important in preparing to play the players on their own teams, or perhaps for trades down the road.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 networking,鈥� said Hehr, noting there are scouts from the Western Hockey League, American and Canadian colleges at the event.
鈥淭he main thing is moving our guys onto the next level,鈥� he said, adding having connections to help players take the next step is important.
鈥淭he MJHL is extremely excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the SJHL by showcasing the top players in our league in a new event that gives our players a chance to showcase their skills and abilities for scouts from all higher levels of hockey,鈥� stated Kim Davis, the Commissioner of the MJHL in a release. 鈥淲hen discussing what the league could do to promote its players even more than it currently does, the two leagues jointly determined that an event such as this would fit the need for player and Scouts.鈥�
President of the SJHL, Bill Chow, agreed with Davis fully and respectfully recognizes all sponsors for the showcase event.
鈥淲ith the help from all our sponsors, it has allowed a new opportunity between two separate leagues to come together and showcase their talents in front of the NHL, CIS and NCAA scouts,鈥� he said in the same release. 鈥淲e鈥檝e opened a new door and many opportunities in creating this exciting event.鈥�
Up next
The Terriers are scheduled to host Battlefords at the Farrell Agencies Arena Friday, then face Nipawin Saturday for a rare 3 p.m. start.
Next Wednesday, Jan. 24, Yorkton hosts Estevan.
Hehr said he and the team know they must find a way to roll up some wins if they hold any hope of gaining a playoff spot.
鈥淲e have to draw a line in the sand and get some wins,鈥� he said.
