Wareham letting play speak for itself

Jase Wareham is the epitome of “never judge a book by its cover.”

The 20-year-old starting netminder for the Waywayseecappo Wolverines of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League has never been a stranger to being dismissed for his size and stature on the ice, but for him, that just added more motivating fuel to the fire.

Wareham, a five-foot-11 product from Rivers, became in awe of the game after his dad introduced his older brother, Owen, to the sport. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, Wareham also laced up the skates, but for a different spot on the ice, playing between the pipes instead of on the blue-line like his brother.

“I just loved it from the start and wanted to keep going,” said Wareham on Thursday. “The influence of a goalie on the game is huge, so being a big part of the team, it’s just pretty fun and also very important.”

Wareham’s drive to be at the centre of his team’s success is what carried him onto the Yellowhead Chiefs U15 AAA roster, a spot he wasn’t exactly sure was going to be his because of his size compared to the competition. He had sensed the coaching staff maybe felt there was a “beware” sign beside his name during tryouts, and it certainly wouldn’t have been the first time, but his efficient movement and agile play spoke for themselves, which earned him a place on the team.

“I wasn’t really sure if I’d get a chance at the AAA level, but I made my way onto that team and kind of proved people wrong, I think,” Wareham said. “Even though I’m still undersized, I worked for it and stuck to my game and earned my spot.”

Wareham played on the U15 club for two seasons before making the jump to U18, which was not an easy task considering he didn’t fill up most of the net like other goaltenders. That never changed his outlook, though, as he put his head down, ignored the noise and showed off his raw talent on the ice.

“I try not to think of it as like something negative, but I just know I have to be better than the other guys because you kind of have to if you’re not taking up as much space as those bigger guys,” said Wareham. “It’s tough for coaches to pick someone undersized, especially when they only get to see them at tryouts for maybe a week or two, but it just motivated me to work harder and show everyone how I can play.”

Wareham cracked the Chiefs U18 lineup in his first year, but the season was cut short due to COVID. He only managed to put four games under his belt, posting a 2-2 record to go alongside a .899 save percentage. Wareham took the disappointment of not being able to prove himself in a full season and carried that as motivation into his next year, when he played 22 games and recorded a 2.98 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.

“It was obviously frustrating having that first year, but I just tried not to act like it was losing a year, but instead, tried to do as much as possible to prepare for the next season,” he said. “I had gotten some confidence going into year two with that attitude and then had a good year, so it kind of worked out.”

Wareham failed to make the Wolverines lineup his first eligible year as a junior, but his fortunes changed in 2023-24, when he notched an 11-5 record with Wayway in 20 appearances in his first season, sharing the net with Calgary’s Kaiden Kirkwood. He once again was following in the footsteps of Owen, who played with the Dauphin Kings a few years prior before moving onto USports with the Bisons, where he plays now.

Wareham had some trouble adjusting to a faster-paced game with players who can shoot better and smarter his first season but has felt more comfortable every day. Wolverines goaltending coach Zach Rakochy has also helped Wareham build a simple, basic style of play, which lets the save come to him. Wareham said the patient and less aggressive style of play employed by staff has made him feel more like the version of himself that was so successful at the U18 level.

“It’s definitely done a lot for my confidence,” he said. “Just not overthinking the shot and really being dialled from the very start of the game, worrying about each save one at a time is the mindset, and it’s worked for me. Not anything crazy, but being one per cent better day.”

In the 2024-25 season, he appeared in 32 games, posting a 3.63 goals-against average and .905 save percentage on a Wayway club that finished 25-30-2-1 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Wareham is off to a hot start this year, grabbing a 3-0 record with a .911 save percentage thus far. Although a small sample size, Wareham should have an eye on him throughout this season as he concludes his MJHL career. Wareham’s squad, which includes his first cousin, Ben Roulette, and childhood teammates Max Collyer and Kurt Rookes, now sits second in the West Division with a 3-2 record and looks like they could make some noise this season.

“It’s a really exciting group we have here,” Wareham said. “Everyone gels together very nicely, we got a lot of talent, and I’m just excited to see where this season takes us.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com