Collyer embracing what’s ahead with Wolverines

Max Collyer knows better than anyone everything happens for a reason.

The 19-year-old from Onanole began his junior career with the Flin Flon Bombers in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League last year but was hugely caught off guard when he was traded to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League just three games into the season.

“Getting traded from Flin Flon, obviously, that didn’t feel very good,” said Collyer on Sunday. “It’s never a good feeling getting traded, but it all worked out.”

Not only did it work out, but it couldn’t have played out any better for Collyer, as Northern Manitoba would go on to win its first Turnbull Cup championship since 2003, after defeating the Dauphin Kings in Game 7 of triple overtime.

“You always think you want to win, but I would say I was a little surprised because I didn’t think that we were going to go that far,” said Collyer, who tallied two assists during the Blizzard’s postseason run. “Seeing how well we played and how good we were in playoffs, it didn’t really surprise me in the end, but it was just kind of a shock.”

Collier capped off the 2024-25 regular season with five goals and 19 points in 45 games, helping the Blizzard secure second place in the West Division with a 35-22-0-1 record, finishing six points back of the first-place Kings. In the playoffs, Northern Manitoba took down the Neepawa Titans in five games, swept the East Division champion Winkler Flyers in the semifinals, and finished the run with a thrilling championship win over Dauphin.

Head coaches across the league, including Doug Hedley with the Kings and Ken Pearson with the Titans, both spoke about how the Blizzard reached a completely new level of play in the post-season, which helped them claim the Turnbull Cup title. The success all started with the culture in the locker room, according to Collyer.

“We were a tight group of guys, never any fights running in the room, and we all just stayed pretty level-headed,” he said. “We all just bought into a system our coach had and laid down our bodies to block shots, and whether it was on the forecheck or backcheck, we all just were all in it together.

“Even during the downs, we all stuck together, and I think that’s what helped us come out on top. We lost our first game against Neepawa, and after that, we all just kind of went running with it.”

Collyer and his teammates brought that same energy to the Centennial Cup in Calgary, where Northern Manitoba notched a 2-2 record in the round-robin before losing out to the Rockland Nationals of the Central Canada Hockey League in the quarterfinals. While the Blizzard didn’t come away with it all, Collyer said it’s an experience he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“It was just a great experience,” said Collyer. “We spent two weeks there, playing a game every two days, and it was probably one of the most fun two weeks of my life. It was just a new level of hockey I got to experience, so I’m pretty grateful for that.”

The six-foot-two, 185-pound winger learned invaluable lessons from playing in constant high-tempo games where being in your A game isn’t an option but the standard. He said his favourite memory from Calgary was when his club rallied to beat Sudbury of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League 6-3.

“It was a cool moment, for sure besting those guys,” he said. “I think that was probably our best game in the tournament.”

Now heading into his sophomore season, Collyer is looking to carry those experiences into a new chapter with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines, who acquired him over the summer in a trade for Connor Weber-McKay.

“I wanted to be closer to home,” said Collyer, who had requested a trade from Northern Manitoba in the off-season. “Wayway is not far, only about an hour away (from Onanole), and I knew lots of guys that were coming back to Wayway, so I knew they were going to have a good team this year. It was just a good fit here.”

Collyer is close friends with fellow Wolverines goalie Jase Wareham and forward Ben Roulette, with the trio’s connection dating back to their time in the Yellowhead Chiefs system, when Collyer spent two years at the U15 level and three more with the U18 club. It’s a much more familiar environment compared to his move to Northern Manitoba, where he arrived in The Pas not knowing a single teammate.

“Obviously, it’s a little different scenario here, and I know a couple of guys,” he said. “Being with Wayway so far, it’s been really good. They’re a super welcoming organization, very high class, and I’m happy to be here. It’s been a lot easier getting to know the other guys too.”

Collyer is starting the season on the Wolverines’ second line alongside Cole Hunter, a returning Waywayseecappo forward, and Treycen Wuttunee, who spent last season with the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars. Through two games, the trio has combined for three points, as the Wolverines split a home-and-home series with the Virden Oil Capitals — winning 4-2 at the Waywayseecappo Arena Complex on Friday before falling 3-1 at Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Saturday.

“They’re both great players who played junior last year, so we should be working pretty good together,” Collyer said. “It might take us a couple of games to get going, but I think we’ll have some chemistry going with them.”

Collyer, a two-way player who prides himself on his hockey IQ, physicality, and ability to read the game at both ends of the ice, complements his two linemates well, who both bring speed and an added offensive touch to the line.

As for the club as a whole, Waywayseecappo is looking to build off last season’s success that saw them reach the playoffs, now entering its second year under head coach Landyn Cochrane.

Collyer believes the Wolverines have the pieces to potentially make some noise this year.

“I think we’ll be a good group this year, for sure,” he said. “We’ll be putting up a good fight for playoffs, and I think as the next couple weeks go along, we’ll get into our groove, and things will work out pretty good for us.”

What began as a five-year-old skating at his local rink in a community fewer than 2,000 people has grown into something Collyer never could have imagined — and now he’s embracing whatever comes next with open arms.

“I never really thought I’d be in this position,” Collyer said. “But I’m very grateful for where I’ve been in hockey, and I’m just excited for what’s next.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com