TISDALE — After Luc Bourdon’s U9 hockey coach moved him to the blue line, it did not take long for the Prince Albert product to decide he wanted to be a defenceman.
This season the 15-year-old from Prince Albert is playing an important role for the Tisdale Trojan U18 AAA team. The assistant captain was chosen in the 2021 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft by the Swift Current Broncos.
“Being a defenceman, I really enjoy seeing the play develop in front of me,” he said. “I get to play a 200-foot game and I have the opportunity to be active in all zones. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve improved my offensive side. It definitely still needs to get better but, I think this year especially has been a big step in my development.”
Trojans head coach Dennis Kubat said that Bourdon has come a long way. The coach is very proud of how the young defenceman has grown as a person. Bourdon has worked hard to develop on the ice as well.
“He’s a guy that wants to be a player. He’s doing the little things. He’s going to the gym. I know he eats healthy, goes to bed, and gets his sleep. He does all the little things that are going to help him become a pretty good player in this league,” said Kubat, who also noted the blue liner is a strong student.
Regarding his hockey development, Bourdon said playing for the Trojans has helped him mentally the most.
“Coming into this season, I didn’t have much confidence or belief in my play,” he said. “As our season progresses, I gain more and more confidence. I still need to continue to improve, but I’ve got a good start and that will definitely help me in the future.”
Kubat said Bourdon has a bright future as an offensive defenceman. This winter the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder has a goal and seven assists in 39 games. When asked about what gives Bourdon an offensive upside, Kubat said:
“His skating. His vision. He’s got a heck of a shot too. He’s got all the intangibles it takes to be a primetime player in this league.”
Bourdon has already established himself as an important cog in the Trojans’ machine. Kubat said he is well liked by his teammates, has a great personality, and has matured during the season. These characteristics – and more – help make him one of the Tisdale team’s leaders.
“He’s not afraid to speak up in the dressing room,” Kubat said. “He is not afraid to let his voice be heard. He’s really positive.”
In Tisdale, Bourdon is living with Pat Bladen, who has long been a billet mom for the Trojan. He said she has made him feel comfortable being away from home.
“She is super caring and helped me out when I was having problems, and I will always be grateful for that,” Bourdon said.
Being with the Trojans, he has enjoyed the team itself and the environment.
“All the boys are super excited to come to the rink everyday,” Bourdon said. “Although this has been a tough season, everyone has been positive from start to finish. The community is great as well. They show so much support and they are what makes playing hockey in Tisdale special.”
The Trojans last week
Wednesday, Feb. 9 in Yorkton
Yorkton 4, Tisdale 3
Trojans Scorers: Finley Radloff (2), Simon Martin
Maulers Scorers: Blaise Athmer (2), Cade Kennedy, Phoenix Ramage
Goalies: Brady Kashuba, Tisdale, 17 saves on 21 shots; John Macpherson, Yorkton, 34 on 37
Notes: Yorkton led 1-0 and 3-1 at the intermissions. The Trojans outscored the Maulers, 2-1, in the third.
Friday, Feb. 11 in Prince Albert
Prince Albert 3, Tisdale 2
Trojans Scorers: Parker Dunn, Simon Martin
Mintos Scorers: Karson Blanchette, Ashton Tait, Van Taylor
Goalies: Cody Wilson, Tisdale, 31 saves on 34 shots; Ty Shumanski, Prince Albert, 16 on 18
Notes: After a scoreless first period, both teams scored two in the second. Dunn opened the game’s scoring on a powerplay and, after two Mintos’ markers, Martin found the back of the net. Taylor scored the third period’s lone goal to give the Mintos the win.
Sunday, Feb. 13 in Saskatoon
Tisdale 6, Saskatoon Contacts 5 OT
Trojans Scorers: Kale Margolis (2), Finley Radloff (2), Pavel McKenzie, Trey Penrod
Contacts Scorers: Lucas Turple, Zach Moore, Seth Dragan, Carter Mason, Kanye Huang
Goalies: Cody Wilson, Tisdale, 29 saves on 34 shots; Chase Wutzke, Saskatoon, 14 on 20
Notes: Radloff scored the game winner. “It was nice to see the boys find a way to win. We are continuing to have close games, gaining experience in one-goal games,” Tisdale head coach Dennis Kubat said. The Trojans had a great start as Margolis scored twice in the first and McKenzie had one early in the second to put the team up 3-0. The team traded goals the rest of the second with Tisdale leading 5-2 at the second intermission. In the third period, the Contacts scored three times, including two on the powerplay, to force overtime.
The Quote
“It was a good week. I loved our O-zone time in Yorkton. We had a lot of high-quality chances in that game. We need to continue to build and trust the process these last five games. Guys are gaining confidence and it is really awesome as a coach to see growth in everyone.”
— Trojans head coach Dennis Kubat
This Week
The Tisdale Trojans (5-32-2) play in Warman (29-8-1) on Friday. Next week they wrap up their season with four games. It starts Monday in Moose Jaw (24-15-1) and includes a Tuesday stop in Wilcox to play Notre Dame (30-8-1). The Tisdale team finishes things up with road games Jan. 22-23 against the Battlefords Stars (16-19-4).
