Saunderson following in brother’s footsteps

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This article was published 09/05/2023 (1279 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nolan Saunderson doesn’t have to look far to see what his Western Hockey League path might look like in the future.

The 15-year-old defenceman from Carberry is the younger brother of Saskatoon Blades rearguard Ben Saunderson.

“He’s taught me so much about what it takes to play at the next level and what it takes to be able to stay consistent at that level,” Saunderson said. “He’s taught me what I need to do in the off-season. He’s motivated me a lot.”

The five-foot-10, 150-pound defenceman played the last two seasons with the under-15 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings because he moved to the city to attend the Western Canada Hockey Academy, Ben stayed in Carberry — the WCHA hadn’t started yet — and skated with the Yellowhead Chiefs.

The move to the bigger city allowed the younger Saunderson to carve out an interesting little historical niche in Hockey Brandon history. He was part of a highly skilled team that won Brandon’s first U15 AAA provincial championship in 2021-22, and then was the only returnee to a hard-working Wheat Kings club that repeated the feat this season.

On top of that, they also managed to win the highly competitive Graham Tuer U15 Challenge in Regina this season, one of the top tournaments in the age group in Western Canada.

“I’m very happy,” Saunderson said. “We couldn’t have done much else as a team. We won in Regina, we finished first in the regular season and we won playoffs. I thought we played better than everyone really expected.”

He was also pleased with his own play.

“I thought it was good,” Saunderson said. “I thought in the regular season I was pretty good, but I thought in the playoffs and Regina was when I really stepped up my game. I thought I played very well in both of them.”

To his credit, Saunderson found a way to thrive in two very different situations with the U15 Wheat Kings.

In his minor year, not as much was expected of him on a stacked, older squad. But in his second season, the team needed him to do more on a nightly basis as it no longer had the same ability to score goals in bundles.

“This year was honestly more fun,” Saunderson said. “Last year, I hate to say it, but we didn’t really have much competition because our team was so skilled. This year we had to come together as a group and play together if we wanted a chance to win, and that’s what we did. We came together and were close on and off the ice, and I think that’s what made us really different from the other team.”

Dave Lewis coached Saunderson the last two years and saw a lot of growth in the young defenceman this season. While his points only increased from 22 to 28, Saunderson was counted on.

“We asked a lot of him,” Lewis said. “As a minor on our team the previous year, he was a good steady, stay-at-home defenceman and a guy you could count on. This year, we asked him to be a lot more offensive and be jumping up in the rush a lot more and be leading and part of the attack. I think that was good for his game. It helped him add another dimension to his game.

“Obviously he’s a very good defender and pretty consistent most nights. I think he’s going to be a real good, steady, safe defenceman in the Western Hockey League.”

Bloodlines carry a lot of weight in the hockey world, so Saunderson’s 18-year-old brother may provide some insight. In 125 WHL games, the six-foot-one, 190-pound Ben has established himself as a punishing, stay-at-home defender who is extremely consistent.

Nolan’s game is more skill-based, but he’s quick to add he’s looking for his brother’s ability to play at a similar level every night.

“My strengths are my skating,” he said. “I think I’m a very good skater and I think my hockey IQ is also very good. I like to think I make some nice plays and the right plays, and I also think my stick-on-puck defence is good.

“The things I need to work on are being more consistent and I would like to add to my offensive game and be able to carry the puck more out of trouble in our zone and carry it into the offensive zone and make plays, so that’s what I’ll be working on this summer.”

His value to the Wheat Kings was also reflected in another way this season.

Lewis had never picked a captain before in 25 years of coaching but saw something in Saunderson that set him apart, so he took the decision out of the hands of his players.

“I just felt the team that we had this year just needed some guidance and some leadership,” Lewis said. “Having Nolan come back knowing what we expected as a coaching staff and how we’re going to push the guys and how they had to respond, we needed a guy in the dressing room who they all looked up to and understood he had been through it and to follow in his footsteps.

“He’s a guy who leads more by example than voice but that’s OK, as long as the other kids see how hard he’s working.”

He also provided that example with his unselfishness.

Saunderson is expected to be chosen in Thursday’s WHL draft, but it’s not something he’s been dwelling on. In fact, he has avoided the subject almost entirely until recently.

“I haven’t started thinking about it until the last week,” Saunderson said. “I was just so focused during the year on what we as a team wanted to accomplish. I really haven’t thought about the draft much.”

He has spoken to some teams and did some questionnaires during the season, but he said he’s been pretty successful in blocking the draft out of his mind.

But that doesn’t mean he lacks interest in being a major junior player. It’s actually just the opposite.

“It’s been my dream since I was little, going to all the Brandon Wheat Kings games,” Saunderson said. “I’ve always dreamed and imagined myself being a player in the WHL. I’m just hoping I can accomplish that.”

Saunderson, who also golfs in the summer and plays basketball with friends but otherwise concentrates on hockey, knows where he’ll be during the draft on Thursday. He was one of 40 players named to Manitoba’s under-16 Pursuit of Excellence (POE) camp that will be held at J&G Homes Arena from Thursday to Sunday.

“I’ll be with all of my friends so it will be fun,” Saunderson said. “Seeing all the guys I played hockey with during the summer getting drafted will be a cool experience.”

On top of that, if there’s any sibling rivalry in the family, it’s worth noting Ben went 89th overall to Saskatoon in 2019.

Soon the two will know if he was eclipsed by the younger brother.

“I’m probably more excited now than I will be before the draft,” Saunderson said. “I’m sure I’ll be very nervous. It will just be a relief, honestly, if I get called or if I don’t get called. I’m just waiting for the day.”

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