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**leafsftw1967** · 05-19-2020, 05:50 PM

A look into the Newfoundland Berserkers Prospects' New Homes- Season Fifty Four SHL and SMJHL Draft Review

Double Media – Draft Article – 5021 words, research - Ready for Grading

The Season Fifty Four SHL Draft

Reflecting back at the season fifty four SHL draft weekend, it definitely turned out to be quite an exciting one with lots of last minute trades with many surprising risers and fallers that ended up torching most expert’s SHL mock drafts. The Newfoundland Berserkers had arguably the strongest and deepest rookie class in the SMJHL in season fifty three that would see an impressive ten of their rookie selected which was the most out of any junior team. There was at least one Berserker taken in each round of the SHL draft and two taken in the first round. Even though Newfoundland had one of the lowest tpe totals in the juniors this past season, they were one of the hardest working groups in the league and were determined to prove to the league that the team’s youth and inexperience was not going to stop them from being a competitive contender. Half way through the season the Berserkers were sitting in second place in the east and battled hard throughout the entire regular season to finish in third place in the eastern conference. In the playoffs Newfoundland battled hard and put up a big fight against the more experienced St. Louis Scarecrows where they lost a heartbreaker in game seven of the first round of the playoffs.

While Newfoundland management knows they have found an incredibly great group of players to build the team around for the next couple of seasons (as can be exemplified with management trading away practically all of their current picks for future selections except for the first overall pick in the season fifty four SMJHL draft), they don’t all get the same recognition through the SHL media or the hockey community. This is why I wanted to write an article about how I think all of the SHL teams that selected Berserkers players in this season’s draft made the right choice! I will take a look at each of their season fifty three stats in the SMJHL, their tpe totals (as of the May 16th update) and talk a bit about what each of the Berserker prospects bring to the table on and off the ice. In addition, I will also highlight the two picks the Berserkers made in the SMJHL draft. So here is a deeper look into each of the drafted Berserkers in order of their acquisition.

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(The top SHL draftees had a chance to take in the SHL finals the week prioir to their draft day watching the Hamilton Steelhawks win the Challenge Cup)

Center Mats Marner (261 tpe) drafted sixth overall by the Calgary Dragons

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 44 | G: 7 | A: 9 | P: 16 | +/-: 8 | PPP: 1 | PIM: 0 | H: 27 | SB: 36 | TA: 15 | GA: 13

This selection was an absolute shocker! I do not think anyone outside the Dragon’s management really saw this coming as the Dragons traded up with the West Kendal Platoon on the draft floor in a deal that saw the Dragons move the eleventh and twenty seventh overall picks to move up to sixth overall. Most experts did not have Marner pegged as the top center in this draft class and many of the mock drafts had Marner going in the second round. Some people were scratching their heads with this selection thinking Marner could have still been on the board for many more picks but the savviness of Dragon managers Esa and Izzy knew the connections Marner had with Chicago and the high likelihood he was going to be taken at seventh overall if they did not make a move. On the surface level nothing really stands out with Marner’s stats as he played a limited role on Newfoundland’s fourth line after joining the SMJHL part way through the regular season. His tpe totals at the time of the draft did not stand out either.

However, if SHL general managers did their homework on this unconventional pick they would have found that when digging deeper below surface level stats that Marner has the potential to one day become a super star in the SHL. Coming from a hockey family that consists of SHL hall of famer Darian Scherbluk, Marner had the advantage of learning how to become a successful hockey player from a young age. Since joining the SMJHL Marner has been one of the hardest working juniors taking advantage of every single training opportunity provided, has been a positive vocal presence in the media, has the funds to afford all of the top end personal training for years to come and is willing to do whatever is best for his team. Marner is also the type of player that will look for the most effective ways as possible to train and develop his game trying to get that competitive advantage over his opponents. Overall this selection has the makings to be a boom or bust pick.

Defenseman Jack Klompus (306 tpe) @Toast drafted thirteenth overall by the Minnesota Chiefs

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 7 | A: 6 | P: 13 | +/-: -9 | PPP: 1 | PIM: 24 | H: 70 | SB: 51 | TA: 14 | GA: 30

In a draft class that saw defenseman fly off the board early on Saturday, it made me think that in terms of progression, potential and character Klompus could be right up there with them, which is why I think Minnesota got great value with Jack near the end of the first round. Klompus played big minutes for the Berserkers this past season at over twenty minutes a night doing it all on the blue line playing in the team’s top four, on the power play unit and penalty kill. He was a great defensive presence putting up over fifty blocked shots and seventy hits which ranked him near the top amongst Newfoundland players. Expect Klompus to take another big step with his game in season fifty four with the Berserkers as I wouldn’t be surprised if management gives him an even bigger role on the blue line in the near future.

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(Klompus had a great rookie season with Newfoundland that earned him the honour of being a first round pick in the SHL draft)

Klompus has shown that he is extremely motivated to be the best defenseman in this draft class and worked really hard throughout his first year in the juniors showing glimpses of his potential to become a franchise defenseman in the SHL. Klompus is another player that comes from an SHL family that has produced many generations of hockey players. Within his hockey family, Jack has the potential to become the best SHL player of the group. Jack brings it all to the table by consistently training as much as possible and comes to the rink every day with a positive attitude and is a great team player. Overall I think Jack Klompus will flourish in Minnesota and can’t wait to see how he does at the next level.

Center Matthew Forrester (278 tpe) @Matty7478 drafted nineteenth overall by the Tampa Bay Barracuda

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 8 | A: 18 | P: 26 | +/-: -6 | PPP: 9 | PIM: 38 | H: 33 | SB: 26 | TA: 13 | GA: 26

The trend of a surprising pick continues with the third Berserker take off the draft board. Similar to the surprising pick of Marner, Matthew Forrester was also one of the three undrafted centers Newfoundland picked up in season fifty three. While Matty had a later start to the year missing out on a couple training opportunities early on, he was able to suit up in all fifty games for Newfoundland being thrown right into the fire as the team’s top line center anchoring two veteran forwards. Forrester was up to the challenge and impressively put up twenty six points, nine of them coming on the top power play unit. He had tough matchups against more experienced top lines with players who had been in the SMJHL for two, three and even four more seasons then he did but was still able to produce well as a true rookie.

While Forrester was not a highly known name in this draft class, he is a well respected and highly touted player within the Newfoundland Berserk locker room. He is an easy going, friendly guy that I am sure will fit really well in Tampa Bay. While he did not have the highest bank account or tpe total in this draft class Matty came to work every day and took his training seriously. It paid off in a successful rookie campaign in the juniors and think it will continue to do so for many seasons to come as he continue to develop his game. Even since being drafted only a couple days ago he has been making some big strides being vocal creating some great media content and was even named to the SMJHL season fifty three all rookie team. Some may think Forrester was taken a bit high but I think the Barracuda made a solid selection and got a versatile center that has a lot of strengths on and off the ice.

Defenseman PBJ Souppan (282 tpe) @thevoicelesscreator drafted twentieth overall by the Minnesota Chiefs

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 4 | A: 11 | P: 15 | +/-: -6 | PPP: 3 | PIM: 31 | H: 70 | SB: 26 | TA: 13 | GA: 26

Souppan was the second straight Beserker taken in the second round and the second Newfoundland defenseman the Chiefs took in the draft. Coming into the juniors PBJ was a highly regarded prospect and was taken third overall in the season fifty three SMJHL draft. In my opinion PBJ lived up to the expectations of being a first round pick in the junior as he was a important player for the team on the ice, in the locker room and in the weight room which left me wondering why he fell. PBJ had a decent rookie season stats wise playing a significant role on the team’s back end in the top four, having power play and penalty kill time as well. He had a respectable fifteen points as a defenseman along with a good seventy hits and was a reliable defenseman pretty much every time he stepped onto the ice.

While PBJ was not the most vocal person in the media, he quietly got better every day and was a positive and welcoming presence in the Newfoundland locker room during the season. He has had experience in other sports leagues and has done quite well adapting to playing in the SMJHL last season. I expect the same thing to happen at the next level in the SHL when he makes the jump to the big leagues. With Souppan and Klompus having spent some time together playing on the same pairing building some chemistry in Newfoundland it would be great to see this defensive pairing stay together in Minnesota. While I am definitely biased, I think this was another great value pick.

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(Having played with Klompus together in Newfoundland, PBJ Souppan must be pretty excited to be joining his teammate in Minnesota)

Goalie Cale Amundsen (297 tpe) @Wally drafted twenty second overall by the Chicago Syndicate but then immediately traded to the Calgary Dragons minutes later.

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | MP: 2556 | W: 21 | L: 17 | OTL: 4 | SHA: 1415 | SAV: 1301 | GAA: 2.68 | SV%: 0.919 | SO: 5

A shocker trade between Chicago and Calgary occurred moments after Cale was selected by the Syndicate which has to be the shortest time one player has ever spent on an SHL team’s roster. The trade involved the Syndicate receiving the twenty third overall pick (one selection lower) as well as a season fifty five second round pick in exchange for Cale Amundsen (who was selected twenty second overall). This was a steep price to pay on Calgary’s end to move up one spot and a no brainer trade to make for Chicago to help restock the prospect cupboards. I wonder if this was Chicago's turn to one up Calgary. However if anyone was worth that trade it was Cale who had shown signs in the SMJHL the previous season that he has what it takes to be a franchise goaltender in the SHL. Amundsen’s rookie season could not have gone any better in terms of individuals stats being named a first team all star and to the all rookie team for the season fifty three SMJHL season. He should win the SMJHL rookie of the year in my opinion, as well as, be in contention for goalie of the year in the juniors.

Cale had the most shutouts and third most wins in the SMJHL in season fifty three, out playing much older, experienced and more developed goaltenders while also facing the second most shots in the league exemplifying how he had to earn his solid goaltending numbers through hard work. In the locker room Cale is an extremely vocal guy and a leader on the team who gets the best out of everyone with his positive encouragement. He is also a very selfless person always putting his teammates before himself as countless times throughout the year he credited Newfoundland’s defense as the reason for his great numbers in net rather than taking any credit personally. In addition, Amundsen is really driven and wants to do whatever it takes to be the best often working on his game after practice and on off days to be the most effective goaltender he can be. In my opinion the only reason Cale was not a top five pick was because goaltenders are historically never taken that early. With an absolutely legendary group of goaltenders having dawn the Dragon’s jersey with Jesster, Verminski, Wongy, Hoc and Vilde, Amundsen should be able to carry on the legacy when the torch is passed to him in the future. As you can probably tell by now I am a huge fan of Cale and am grateful that Marner will not have to be trying to figure out how to get pucks by him in the SHL.

Center Guy LeGrande (277 tpe) @Steve drafted twenty ninth overall by the Edmonton Blizzard

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 8 | A: 10 | P: 18 | +/-: 1 | PPP: 1 | PIM: 16 | H: 24 | SB: 36 | TA: 24 | GA: 15

With the Edmonton Blizzard having already drafted center Daniel Laforest with their earlier pick in the first round, they went back and took another center at the end of the second round in which they got a quality player with LeGrande. Guy was the third of the three undrafted centers Newfoundland signed during season fifty three that were taken in the SHL draft. He had a quietly impressive rookie season in Newfoundland getting the chance to play some second and third line minutes for the team. LeGrande was a solid two way player for the Berserkers putting up just under twenty points and also having twenty four takeaways and thirty six blocked shots also being heavily relied upon on the team’s penalty kill. He was a fairly disciplined player throughout the year and also had a positive plus minus stat which shows his responsibility on the ice.

While Guy is one of the more quitter guys in the draft class, he still brings a lot to Newfoundland on and off the ice and is a quality person to have around. I think he was one of the steals in late second round of the draft and expect to see him develop into a reliable center in the SHL. He has shown a consistent work ethic improving his game on a regular basis and am interested to see him take his game to the next level in the SMJHL this season as a more experienced send down. Overall the Blizzard made a great pick with LeGrande.

(Guy should be a solid two way center for the Edmonton Blizzard in the near future)

Defenseman Tinke Jutila (269 tpe) @Snussu drafted thirty sixth overall by the Minnesota Chiefs

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 3 | A: 11 | P: 14 | +/-: 16 | PPP: 0 | PIM: 16 | H: 81 | SB: 130 | TA: 34 | GA: 32

Tinke Jutila was the third defenseman Minnesota selected from the Newfoundland Berserkers defensive crops having drafted a Berserkers defenseman in every one of the first three rounds. Jutila has quite a high tpe total and really active for a third round pick. In season fifty three Jutila also had a really impressive year on the ice especially in the defensive end where he put up an incredible one hundred and thirty shots blocked which ranked him second in the entire SMJHL. He also had an outstanding thirty four takeaways which ranked him third in the entire juniors along with eight one hits. Tinke was a rock on the back end shutting down opposing forwards, playing a physical game and sacrificing the body. He was also a team best plus sixteen helping limit the amount of times he was on the ice for goals against. In addition, Jutila put up a respectable fourteen points as a true rookie on the back end. For a true rookie defenseman I don’t think the season could have went much better for Jutila.

In terms of off ice characteristics, Tinke is an active voice in the locker room and comes from a family of that has members who played in the SHL. Jutila is a positive influence on the team and following his later round selection he has been extremely motivated to prove to people that he should have been selected higher. I would not be surprised to see down the road that Tinke Jutila was one of the big steals of the draft and think that he can become an effective defenseman at the SHL level. As a fellow member of this draft class and teammate I am looking forward to growing with him in our second year together in Newfoundland and can’t wait to see how things play out.

Defenseman Elias Kierkegaard (241 tpe) @Count Chocula drafted forty fifth overall by the Los Angeles Panthers

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 2 | A: 15 | P: 17 | +/-: 11 | PPP: 0 | PIM: 18 | H: 26 | SB: 35 | TA: 15 | GA: 30

Elias Kierkegaard being drafted at the end of the third round could turn out to be a sneaky good pick by Los Angeles if he can stay active over the long term and continue consistently updating like he has so far. Kierkegaard is another one of the Newfoundland Berserkers undrafted prospects they signed and slotted in on the team’s third pairing defense for all fifty regular season games in season fifty three adding some great depth to the team. He had a solid offensive season on the back end scoring seventeen points as a true rookie and also held up his own in the defensive end. Elias also had a really good plus minus rating and was effective in his limited role on the team’s defense.

While Kierkegaard is one of the more quieter voices in the locker room, he lets his play, as well as, his work in practice and the gym do the talking. He has been consistently improving since joining Newfoundland and has the potential to make an impact at the next level in the SHL. Coming from a hockey family with an SHL pedigree, if Kierkegaard can live up to the reputation that older generations of his family members like Chester Cunningham left in the SHL (Cunningham was a multiple first team all star playing in the S20-S30 era of the SHL) he will be one hell of a player for the Panthers.

(Kierkegaard could end up being a big steal for the Los Angeles Panthers if he continues training hard and developing his raw skills as an offensive defenseman)

Defenseman Renji Atake (236 tpe) @Justice drafted fifty fifth overall by the Chicago Syndicate

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 3 | A: 13 | P: 16 | +/-: 7 | PPP: 1 | PIM: 22 | H: 56 | SB: 50 | TA: 13 | GA: 17

The Chicago Syndicate’s late round picks seemed to come from a place of familarity selecting defenseman Renji Atake from the Newfoundland Berserkers. Similar to many of the other Berserker rookies from this draft class, Atake was also an undrafted rookie that Newfoundland signed just before the beginning of the season fifty three regular season. For a depth player Atake had a good season on the third pairing for Newfoundland putting up sixteen points and fifty shots blocked along with a plus minus rating of seven. He was a reliable two way defenseman for the team and should continue to excel in that role in season fifty four as a send down for the Berserkers.

In terms of off the ice characteristics, Renji has been a good teammate in Newfoundland and has also come from a SHL family with lots of pro hockey experience running through his blood. He has been a good fit in Chicago and am looking forward to seeing how his development plays out with the Berserkers this season. While there have been some questions around his commitment levels, he has shown some upside speaking to the media right before the draft. Being picked this late into the draft he is a low risk high reward selection. Even though a lot of late round picks do not often make an impact in the SHL I believe that Atake has what it takes to defy the odds and will be rooting for him to make it to the big leauges.

Left Wing Niccolo Livius (232 tpe) @bbp drafted seventy first overall by the Chicago Syndicate

Season fifty three SMJHL regular season stat line- GP: 50 | G: 7 | A: 5 | P: 12 | +/-: 10 | PPP: 1 | PIM: 12 | H: 48 | SB: 34 | TA: 13 | GA: 13

Niccolo Livius was this year’s Mr. Irrelevant being the last selection of the season fifty three SHL draft. Chicago has a lot of familiarity with this Newfoundland rookie and he was another low risk high reward pick they made to help in the efforts to restock the prospect cupboards. In fifty games playing on the Berserkers fourth line, Livius was good in is depth role with the team being a plus player and putting up a decent amount of shots blocked, hits and takeaways with his limited minutes.

While Livius had some struggles with his work ethic this season, he has the DNA to become a good SHL player coming from a family that has played a lot of professional hockey. He has been had sporadic bursts of activity and I am sure Chicago is planing to help mentor him to see more consistency with his work ethic. I know he has the talent and ability to be an every day player at the next level in the SHL so now it will be up to him to see how much he wants it.

(While Italian's are not usually known for their hockey, Livius could defy the odds and make the SHL as a player coming from a non-traditional hockey country, as well as, the last player selected in the draft)

Overall, the Minnesota Chiefs, Calgary Dragons and Chicago Syndicate were all big buyers of the Newfoundland Berserkers eligible draft prospects with each team ending up with two or more players from Newfoundland. While I have a pretty biased view point, I think each and every single one of the Newfoundland prospects drafted by SHL teams over the weekend were great picks. We started something really special last season with Newfoundland’s group of rookies and am excited to see how we as a team can take the next step to becoming a dominant SMJHL team.

The Season Fifty Four SMJHL Draft

Right Wing Liam Slate (224 tpe) @Tylar drafted first overall by the Newfoundland Berserkers

Since joining the Newfoundland Berserkers after being called up late into last regular season, Liam Slate has fit into the team perfectly both on the ice and in the locker room. Newfoundland management knew Liam fairly well and his generational talent was unquestionable leading to him earning a spot on the team as a under ager who was eligible for the season fifty four SMJHL draft. At the start of the season fifty four regular season Liam Slate should incredibly be catching up to some of his veteran send down teammates in terms of their progression and is on track to be one of the fastest improving rookies in the juniors.

Slate instantly became one of the most well liked players on the team and he had earned the respect of his older teammates through his hard work and dedication to the game. When the games mattered most in game six of the first round of the SMJHL playoffs in season fifty three as the Berserkers were facing elimination, Liam made his debut into the line up being a spark for the Berserkers and helped them force a game seven against the St. Louis Scarecrows. While Newfoundland was unable to complete the upset in game seven, they were in awe of how Slate seamlessly transitioned into playing in the SMJHL and how well he meshed with the team. Even though Newfoundland traded away most of their season fifty four draft picks with only two or three spots on the roster open for true rookies in the upcoming season, they knew they had to do what ever it took to bring back Slate. Lucky for them, Newfoundland surprisingly won the draft lottery as a playoff team and would be selecting first overall. The rest was history as there was no debate within the locker room or from management that the Berserkers were going to be taking Slate first overall as nobody in Newfoundland could imagine him playing on a different SMJHL team.

Goalie Junior Guarda (209 tpe) @Loco drafted forty fifth overall by the Newfoundland Berserkers

After making a selection at first overall, the Newfoundland Berserkers did not have another draft pick until the middle of the fifth round in which they filled their other open roster spot for a back up goalie with Junior Guarda. With this pick deep into the SMJHL draft, the Berserkers got great value getting a hard working player, with an active voice in the media and a good locker room presence. Guarda also comes from a family of SHLers and should be provided with the knowledge of how to become a successful goalie to reach the next level. Guarda will definitely get some playing time but it will be in a limited capcity as he backs up the most dominant goalie in the SMJHL with Cale Amundsen. However, Junoir can use this season as a learning experience and feed off of Cale’s work ethic and drive to help make each other better as the goalies on the team. Junior has fit well into the team dynamic so far and should provide a positive contribution for the Berserkers this season.

(The Newfoundland Berserkers were thrilled to find value at the goalie position in the fifth round to help fill out their roster for season fifty four)

Newfoundland went into the SMJHL draft needing a backup goaltender and Guarda should be able to step into this role perfectly. For the rest of the draft, the Berserkers passed or traded away the rest of their selections and seem to be set for the season. They could potentially use one depth free agent signing at the forward position but overall the team is gearing up for run as a cup contenders in the SMJHL. They will be an extremely deep team with lots of experience with a majority of their team being second and third year send downs. I would not be surprised to see Newfoundland take over the Detroit Falcons as the best team in the league this season but it will definitely be a tough feat to accomplish. Never the less, the Berserkers will have a two or three season window coming up to be the top team in the juniors with the core group they have built. So the future is looking bright in Newfoundland and for east coast hockey!

ACapitalChicago · 05-19-2020, 05:55 PM

Absolutely solid media here, great work!! Fantastic write up all around!

S66 Damian Littleton

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Matty7478 · 05-19-2020, 05:58 PM

Trip to the money printers is in order Berserkers

Tylar · 05-19-2020, 06:01 PM

POGGERS

Samsung virtual assistant · 05-19-2020, 06:03 PM

Newfoundland will always be home tbh

Slappydoodle · 05-19-2020, 06:05 PM

Nhamlet · 05-19-2020, 06:10 PM

This is why my boy deserves that 6th overall spot.

...sob

***Wally*** · 05-19-2020, 07:03 PM

Boss media right here... fire.

Justice · 05-19-2020, 08:38 PM

go berserkers!!!!!!!!!!!!

***Toast*** · 05-20-2020, 08:24 AM

Darian you are a machine! Enjoy the payday and thanks for the kind words.

DeletedAtUserRequest · 05-20-2020, 01:04 PM

Beauty

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*Katth* · 05-20-2020, 05:23 PM

Save some of that money to tip Linda.

S50 Challenge Cup Finals Game 7
[Image: gNFVjT6.png]

**leafsftw1967** · 05-20-2020, 06:16 PM

05-20-2020, 05:23 PMKatth Wrote: Save some of that money to tip Linda.

Don't worry Linda got a very nice tip for her first class services Wink

Hopefully I got enough money left to bribe @Steelhead77 for his secret chicken parm recipe

*Katth* · 05-20-2020, 06:41 PM

05-20-2020, 06:16 PMleafsftw1967 Wrote:
05-20-2020, 05:23 PMKatth Wrote: Save some of that money to tip Linda.

Don't worry Linda got a very nice tip for her first class services Hopefully I got enough money left to bribe @Steelhead77 for his secret chicken parm recipe

Lol good luck with that!

S50 Challenge Cup Finals Game 7
[Image: gNFVjT6.png]

Steelhead77 · 05-20-2020, 07:48 PM

05-20-2020, 06:16 PMleafsftw1967 Wrote:
05-20-2020, 05:23 PMKatth Wrote: Save some of that money to tip Linda.

Don't worry Linda got a very nice tip for her first class services Hopefully I got enough money left to bribe @Steelhead77 for his secret chicken parm recipe

Awesome article, you're a media monster! Also you were a steal at 6 in our opinion Wink

Marner and Amundsen will become stars in this league and great Dragons! Good luck to the other picks here as well!

Cheers

p.s - The secret parm recipe is under lock and key until players hit 1ktpe. Use it as extra motivation. There's another recipe available at 2k. Biggrin

---> ParmBorg Highlights <---

#1 All-Time SHL Goal & Point Scorer
- First 2,000 TPE Player in SHL History -
- First 400 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- Only 500 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- First GM to Win 5 & 6 Challenge Cups -
Esa Anrikkanen Award - SMJHL ROY - Est. S34
Vidrik Onoprienko Award Winner - S45

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