Whitecloud’s hockey journey hits pinnacle

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This article was published 14/06/2023 (1026 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Vegas Golden Knights have had a lot of support in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation since Zach Whitecloud made his debut with the National Hockey League club in April 2018.

Over the course of the last few weeks, however, the buzz around the 26-year-old defenceman has been increasing as the Golden Knights went further and further in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“We came up with the idea to host viewing parties here (at the Wichozoni Centre) and the crowds just started to grow,” Sioux Valley Dakota Nation chief Jennifer Bone said.

“We had people coming in from Brandon and different areas for the game (Tuesday) night and it’s been great to see the turnout and the support for Zach.”

Whitecloud got the chance to lift hockey’s holy grail on Tuesday evening in Las Vegas as the Golden Knights cruised to a 9-3 win over the Florida Panthers to wrap up this year’s final in five games.

“It was a pretty exciting evening for everyone here,” Bone said.

“We’re obviously very proud of Zach and all of his accomplishments. He’s become an inspiration for our community in general, and especially to all of the young people.”

Another person who was thrilled to see Whitecloud lift Lord Stanley’s Mug was Troy Leslie, who was his coach with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals from 2014 to 2016.

“You never really know what it’s going to feel like when something like that happens, but I’m so thrilled for Zach and his entire family,” Leslie said. “He’s such a deserving guy.”

ROAD TO VEGAS

Whitecloud’s journey to the NHL is not your typical path.

After playing high school hockey for the Vincent Massey Vikings, he spent two seasons in the Manitoba Under-18 AAA Hockey League with the Central Plains Capitals in Portage la Prairie and the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Tyson Ramsey, who is the current general manager and head coach of the Oil Capitals, was an assistant coach with the U18 Wheat Kings program during the 2013-14 season and also taught Whitecloud at Riverheights School.

“One of the things that was really evident about Zach early on was how naturally talented he was athletically,” Ramsey said.

“He really matured off the ice during his time with the Wheat Kings and I think a lot of the credit there goes to our head coach Ken Schneider. His time with that team certainly helped to prepare him for the next steps in his hockey career.”

In the spring of 2014, Whitecloud attended an Oil Capitals camp and immediately got the attention of Leslie and his brother Chad, who was the team’s director of player personnel at the time.

“Once we saw him, we thought it was really important to sign him and bring him into our team,” said Leslie, who noted that the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Estevan Bruins were also interested in signing Whitecloud.

“I was actually thinking about the dinner we had with Zach and his parents in Brandon during that time after he won on Tuesday night. It was kind of the start to the whole thing.”

Whitecloud slowly worked his way up Virden’s defensive depth chart during the 2014-15 season and was eventually paired with the team’s top blue-liner Jordan Greig.

After recording 10 points in 57 games as a rookie, Whitecloud posted 40 points in 59 contests during the 2015-16 season.

He earned second-team MJHL all-star honours and committed to the NCAA’s Bemidji State (Minn.) Beavers in January 2016.

“Zach had got himself into really good shape during the summer of 2014 and was a real pleasant surprise at our training camp,” Leslie said.

“Everything just took off from there really. He was an extremely coachable kid and he learned a lot from Jordan during his rookie season, which was when he caught the eyes of Bemidji State.”

Whitecloud is one of three players who suited up for the Golden Knights in this year’s playoffs that plied their trade in Junior A before heading into the NCAA.

However, in the case of forward Reilly Smith and defenceman Ben Hutton, they were both NHL draft picks and were one-time prospects of Ontario Hockey League sides.

Whitecloud was never picked in a Western Hockey League, MJHL or NHL draft prior to signing his entry-level contract with the Golden Knights in March 2018.

“Zach was very focused on where he wanted to end up,” Leslie said. “You saw that in practice and what he did on a daily basis.

“He kept working hard to put himself in a position to get noticed and he was never frustrated about being looked over. He’s been rewarded for that now.”

Whitecloud has kept in touch with the Oil Capitals as his pro career has taken off. He reached out to the team this spring as they went on a Cinderella run to the MJHL final.

“He’s a great ambassador for junior hockey and he’s so proud of his heritage and his culture,” Ramsey said.

“Zach’s so well-spoken when he talks about all the things that are a major part of his life and we’re all very happy for him and proud of him.”

HOMETOWN HERO

As a regular member of the Golden Knights roster for the last three seasons — he’s signed with the team through the 2027-28 campaign — Whitecloud’s brought a lot of attention to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

His presence in hockey’s biggest league has also given those back home a role model to look up to as they pursue their own dreams.

“If you put in the effort and do the hard work, you can accomplish anything and achieve those goals,” Bone said.

“To see Zach go from playing for Virden and Bemidji State to where he is now has been amazing. He’s such a great guy and a real inspiration to the young ones as they start their own journeys.”

There’s no word yet as to when the Stanley Cup is coming to the area. The team is holding its championship parade on Saturday night and each player will get a day with the trophy over the summer.

However, Bone expects Whitecloud to be the centre of attention upon his return home.

“Zach was here for our annual powwow celebration last year and there was a ton of excitement,” Bone said. “He drew in a big crowd and everyone was wanting to get his autograph and take a photo with him.

“It’s always a great time when he comes back and has a chance to say hello to everyone.”

ICINGS: There were several Brandon Wheat Kings connections on this year’s Golden Knights squad. Mark Stone was the captain of the team and scored a hat trick in the series clincher, while Kelly McCrimmon is the general manager. Ryan Craig is an assistant coach and Bob Lowes and Vaughn Karpan both work in the player personnel department. Goaltender Logan Thompson, who suffered an injury during the regular season, did not play in the playoffs, while fellow netminder Jiri Patera was one of the team’s black aces. Nolan Patrick is also on the team’s roster but hasn’t played since March 2022.

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