HUMBOLDT — Justin Keck and his returning teammates were pleased to be back in Humboldt Broncos uniforms.
At the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League squad’s fall camp, the second year forward from Morris, Man. scored the opening goal in the annual Green and Gold game on Sunday. He helped his Green team to a 2-1 victory in the contest featuring the camp’s top 40 players competing for the Elgar Petersen Cup.
“I loved being able to play at the Junior A level again,” Keck said. “There was lots of talent out there, which made the game even more exciting to play in. I’m just excited to get things going with Humboldt again. We have an exciting group of players.”
In the Green and Gold game, returning defenceman Chase Lacombe of Moose Jaw scored the victorious squad’s other goal. Veteran forward Braiden Koran of Kimberley, B.C. and newcomer Ethan Zielke, an 18-year-old from Calgary, assisted on both goals.
They were among the about 70 players in camp with the Broncos Aug. 27 to 29 at the Elgar Petersen Arena. It was a long offseason for the Broncos. Their last game was when they beat the Hounds, 4-1, on Nov. 23, 2021 before the SJHL season was paused and then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was lots of fun to get back on the ice with the guys and get to feel what it was like to have fans again,” said veteran forward Max Gudnason of Wynyard. “I always enjoy playing against the veteran players and giving them a hard time.
The Broncos open their six-game exhibition schedule on Friday in Nipawin against the Hawks. Humboldt hosts the Hawks on Saturday.
The SJHL regular season starts for the Broncos on Sept. 24 in Wilcox when they tangle with the Notre Dame Hounds. On the 25th, Humboldt hosts Notre Dame at the Elgar Petersen Arena.
Last season the Broncos had a league-best 5-1 record when things were shut down. Some players have aged out or moved on from that team. With many leagues at the U18 and junior levels playing limited schedules, identifying and recruiting players for this season’s team was challenging as many could not be seen in person.
“We relied heavily on video and recommendations from scouts that had seen the players in the past,” said Luke Strueby, the Broncos’ director of hockey operations. “We always watch video on players, but this year it was pretty much exclusively video. One thing we did have was time to watch lots of video and make decisions. Meeting the out of province players and parents was done by Zoom meetings.
“Normally, if we are playing, we would not have as much time on the scouting side. That was actually one positive about everything.”
Strueby said this was “Easily the most excited I have ever been for a camp. … to finally see these players live with our own eyes was rewarding. Just to be back in the rink watching competitive hockey again was a lot of fun. In talking to some of the players, it was easy to see how happy they were to be playing again.”
While players battled for spots on this season’s squad, younger athletes were trying to turn the heads of Humboldt staffers for the future. The team had 56 underage prospects in for a Young Guns camp.
“We use the Young Guns camp as an identification camp for younger prospects,” Strueby said. “Some of them are players that we could potentially put on our protected list and some of them are players that we will potentially be drafting in the coming year. For the draft eligible kids, we compile a watch list and be sure to watch each player a few times throughout the year. The Young Guns camp helps us identify which players to watch in the coming year. It is also great for the young prospects to be in the rink at the same time as the main camp, so they are able to watch and see for themselves what it takes to potentially become a Humboldt Bronco in the future.”
