And then there were six.
After a two-goal effort Friday, and another pair Saturday, Chantz Petruic joined rather elite company becoming only the sixth player in Yorkton Terrier history to score 50-goals in a single season.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that at all. It鈥檚 cool,鈥� said Petruic Monday, when asked if he was aware how rare his achievement was in the annuals of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League franchise.
Petruic did admit he more, or less, had scoring 50 as a personal goal this season.
鈥淚 guess I鈥檇 kind of made it a bit of a goal,鈥� he said, adding that it was not something he dwelled on as the season rolled along. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really think about it game-to-game.鈥�
But now that the 50th goal is in the book, the 20-year-old Terrier forward admitted 鈥渙bviously it鈥檚 pretty special. It鈥檚 one of those things where I鈥檓 glad that I got it.鈥�
However, Petruic said he鈥檚 not exactly sure how to react to the accomplishment even as he joins an elite group that includes Darrell Spelay who did it four times, Bryan Kuspira, Pat Ford, Ed Zawatzky and most recently in the 1991-92 season Dean Seymour.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little different feeling from winning a championship,鈥� he said, noting that is always the ultimate goal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more of a personal thing ... It was something I鈥檓 pretty amazed I was able to do.鈥�
It was made all the more special that Petruic鈥檚 dad, grandmother, uncle, cousin and a couple of his best friends from Moose Jaw were in the stands in Humboldt Saturday.
鈥淚 scored right in the corner where they were,鈥� said Petruic of his 50th that came with only three seconds left on the clock. 鈥淚t was nice to get it done with them there.鈥�
The 50 goals came after what Petruic said was a slow start to his season.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have the best start to the year,鈥� he said, adding that a change in approach seemed to kickstart things. 鈥淎bout 15-games in I started to shoot the puck more and the bounces started to go my way a bit more.鈥�
Petruic said he is just as happy to pass the puck to set up a teammate 鈥� he has 44 assists 鈥� but added you need to shoot to score.
鈥淚 like to make a pass, like to set my teammates up ... (But), I started to shoot a bit more to create chances from that a bit more,鈥� he said.
As the goals start to go in, the goal of 50 became more likely.
鈥淏efore Christmas I started to get real close,鈥� said Petruic, adding that was when he started to think about it more.
Still, Petruic said he strives to be more than just a goal scorer.
鈥淚 want to evolve my game into an all-around player,鈥� he said.
鈥淒ad always says I should shoot the puck more. He doesn鈥檛 think I shoot enough, so he gives me the gears, but I鈥檓 always working on being better in our end, being reliable in our end.鈥�
In that respect Petruic said Terrier coach Mat Hehr has been a big help, in particular reminding him to play like he can 鈥渁nd don鈥檛 let the confidence go down if I have a bad game ... If you don鈥檛 have confidence you can鈥檛 do anything out there.
鈥淢at Hehr has really advanced my game, to be the player I can be.鈥�
Teammates are of course important too.
Petruic said as a 19-year he learned a lot from Branden Klatt and Jared Legien.
鈥淭hey helped me out a lot,鈥� he said.
This year Petruic started the season on a line with Brett LeGrandeur and Jordan Guiney, and now hits the ice with Keenan and Kaeden Taphorn.
鈥淥bviously scoring goals wouldn鈥檛 be possible without teammates,鈥� he said, adding he owes them a lot of credit for the success he has enjoyed.
What will come next for Petruic after his final season with the Terriers is compete 鈥� with a league championship and beyond he hopes?
鈥淚鈥檓 not really sure really. It鈥檚 still up in the air,鈥� he said, adding it might be a pro contract somewhere, or off to a Canadian college to play hockey, although what his career path past hockey will be is still to be decided.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what the best route is for me yet.鈥�
As the season wears on, and the accolades mount, Petruic has been SJHL Player of the Month three times, he said he just wants to focus on winning games now.
鈥淚 just try to stay humble,鈥� he said, adding in his mind the goals are just part of doing his job. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just one of those things. I hold myself to a certain standard. I鈥檝e always been hard on myself. If I don鈥檛 play the game hard, play the best I can, I let my teammates down. Obviously being a leader I have to lead by example.鈥�
And, in the back of his mind Petruic admits 60 goals looms.
鈥淚鈥檓 thinking about it a little bit,鈥� he said with a smile. 鈥淥bviously team success comes first, but you play around with it (the idea of 60), a little bit in my head.鈥�
