WHL NOTEBOOK: Shmyr finding his way with Saskatoon
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/11/2016 (3228 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After a tough weekend, Braylon Shmyr was still smiling.
The former Brandon Wheat Kings forward, who now skates for the Saskatoon Blades, admitted it was nice to be back in the building where he started his Western Hockey League career in the 2013-14 season.
“It definitely always feels good to come back here and play in my old barn,” Shmyr said. “It’s definitely a lot of memories.”
The five-foot-10, 163-pound forward was sent with Colton Waltz to Saskatoon on Jan. 5, 2016, for defencemen Mitch Wheaton and Schael Higson. Waltz and Wheaton have both aged out of the league but the 18-year-old Higson remains with the Wheat Kings.
Shmyr, who was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft by Brandon, had 29 goals and 66 points in 128 regular season games as a Wheat King and three goals and three assists in 18 playoff games.
So far this season, he has seven goals and five assists in 24 games on a game built on his blazing speed.
It was on display on the weekend, even as Saskatoon was beaten 8-1 on Friday and 6-3 on Saturday by Brandon.
In Friday’s game, Shmyr rang a shot off the crossbar after joining a two-on-one. After a video replay it was concluded that the puck clanged off the front bar rather than the back one in the net, negating a potentially momentum-swinging goal.
On Saturday, Shmyr scored on a two-on-one as the Blades were reeling from an early 3-0 deficit.
“It’s not bad,” Shmyr said of his season so far. “I’m just trying to do as much as I can to help the team out. I’m working hard every day and trying to get better.”
He’s playing on a line with team scoring leader Mason McCarty and 17-year-old Josh Paterson.
One advantage he had this season was going to training camp in Saskatoon, as opposed to joining a new team mid-season a year ago.
“I definitely felt more comfortable going into the season in Saskatoon,” Shmyr said. “I felt a lot more confident knowing everyone in Saskatoon.”
But embracing a new city certainly doesn’t include leaving the old one behind.
Shmyr, a Calgary product, returned to Brandon for the summer for several reasons.
He works out with Jim Frederickson at Frederickson Performance Centre, and dates a Brandon woman who he met when he was playing here.
He also has to place to stay when he’s in Brandon, with his former billets Jason and Carrie Thorpe.
“I had really good billets when I played here,” Shmyr said. “They’re awesome people and they allow me to stay here. They’re very welcoming.”
The Blades, who sit fifth in the East Division with a record of 9-15-1-0, are currently two points of an Eastern Conference wildcard spot.
With plenty of hockey still to be played in the 72-game season, Shmyr said he thinks the team is starting to learn how to play through adversity. That bodes well as the Blades chase their one major goal.
“We just hope to make the playoffs,” Shmyr said.
“That’s our huge goal as a team.”
TRADES: A deal the Blades made on Sunday won’t make Shmyr’s job any easier. Saskatoon shipped overage forward Ryan Graham to the Swift Current Broncos for a second round WHL bantam pick in 2017 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018. On Monday, Regina sent the rights to 17-year-old forward Jacob Elmer to the Kootenay Ice for a ninth-rounder in 2017. Elmer played 17 games with the Pats this season, but is playing with the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Late Tuesday, the Everett Silvertips sent Spencer Gerth to the Victoria Royals for a conditional seventh-rounder in 2018.
ALUMNI UPDATE: John Quenneville has five goals and four assists in 15 games with the Albany Devils in the American Hockey League … Macoy Erkamps has six assists in 12 games with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL … Mitch Wheaton has an assist in 15 games at St. Francis Xavier University in U Sports … Duncan Campbell has three goals and three assists in seven games with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL … Jordan Thomson has six goals and eight assists in 11 games with the Portage Terriers of the MJHL.