Hard-working Cougars ready for U18 season

Southwest Cougars head coach Tanner Lewis is excited for another season behind the bench as the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season opens later this week.

As the culmination of minor-league hockey, many players spend their whole careers striving to play at this level. A total of 60 players came out to Cougars camp this year in the hopes of joining the team.

“That’s the most kids come to a Cougar camp since I’ve been in the organization coaching,” said Lewis. “It’s obviously a good step for our region that we are getting that many kids trying to earn a spot on a U18 team.”

After several expected and unexpected departures from last year’s sixth-place squad that went 27-18-1-2 and fell in four games in the opening round of the playoffs to the Brandon Wheat Kings, the team will look different, but with a wealth of options to choose from, Lewis has put together a squad that will play a hard-working, hard-nosed brand of hockey.

“Southwest generally isn’t going to outskill anyone; that’s just the way it is,” said Lewis. “We’re a team that’s not going to be outworked … the biggest thing is defending hard and competing hard, and that starts with being the hard-working team every night.”

FORWARDS

Returning for another year are 2010-born forwards Coleton Koop, Gavin Anderson and Jordan Knox alongside 2009-born forward Aubrey Cuvelier.

“Their roles weren’t as big last year as they are going to be, but I thought they did really well in the playoffs against Brandon,” said Lewis about the group of 2010s. “You can see it in camp that they’ve got a lot more confidence… their skills have improved, and they already know our systems.

“(Cuvelier) is kind of one of those unicorns that can play a hard-nosed game in today’s game of finesse and skill. He’s the one that’s going to go in and disrupt.”

This core group will need to teach the newcomers how the team likes to play while also contributing more offensively than they did last year.

Koop led the group with 19 points last year while Knox brought up the rear with eight. All told, the four players scored 50 points combined last season.

“I told (the 2010s) and our two returning D, ‘Last year you’re just trying to survive the U18 league. This time we need you to thrive and log big minutes for us,’” said Lewis.

New additions to the team include Evan Raes, Sam Clarj and Zayden McKay, all of whom were Southwest’s U17 team last year.

Former U17 Brandon Wheat Kings, Denzel Monias and Ethan Chen — who scored 32 points in 36 games last season — are also new to the team.

Jaxson Cullen and Skylar Deacon are the final two players joining this group of forwards. Both are up from the Southwest U15 program: Cullen is expected to jump straight into a featured position.

“It’s not often a 15-year-old gets to come in and play in a top-six role right away, but that’s what we are expecting Jaxson to do,” said Lewis. “The playmaking ability that we’ve seen (from him) through camp is very high.”

DEFENCE

On defence, 2010-born players Liam Magwood and Reid Johnson are the only returnees in a group that looks like it will be big and defensively capable.

“We thought we were going to get more back,” said Lewis. “Unfortunately, we didn’t for some unforeseen reasons, but Mags and Johny are going to carry the load back there.”

Eli Jones — a 2009-born defender with two years of experience with Pembina Valley Hawks — will be another veteran presence on the team. His experience is something Lewis says he will lean on especially early in the season.

Camrin Taylor, Recklan Gabrielle and Cohen Slobodian round out the group, having made the jump up from U17. Taylor captained the U17 squad while Gabrielle wore an A.

“We have a lot of big D that can defend,” said Lewis.

He added that Slobodian is more of a puck mover, something they are pleased to have in the lineup.

GOALIES

The goalie tandem for the year will feature Liam Banga and Dawson Smart, who played together for the U17 team last year.

The pair split the crease throughout the year, getting 19 starts apiece, and their stats wound up being pretty similar. Banga finished the year with a 4.29 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Smart maintained a 4.96 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage.

There will be a lot of comfort for the pair who have worked together for the past few seasons.

“We’re happy with both of them. They have a great relationship,” said Lewis. “They push each other in practice; they can lean on each other when one’s maybe not having the best game.”

Neither has played at the U18 level, and adjusting will be the biggest thing for the duo early in the season. They will both have the opportunity to prove they can lead the tandem.

“I’m expecting these two to get an equal 50-50 chance throughout the year, and when we get down to that stretch, if we are in the race, then one of them will have to take over the crease,” said Lewis.

The Cougars start the season with a pair of games against Kenora. The two teams will meet in Kenora on Sept. 26 and 27.

“We’re excited to get going again,” said Lewis. “Every year is a different opportunity for kids to step up and that’s my favourite part of doing this U18 level.”

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com