Playmaker Josh Romanik records league-best 55 assists

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This article was published 23/02/2024 (562 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s a natural on-ice chemistry when Josh Romanik and Carter Dittmer play together with the Vincent Massey Vikings.

This was apparent when you look at their combined statistics playing in the Westman High School Hockey League, where Dittmer won the scoring race with a league-best 66 goals and 98 points in 30 games. Romanik finished runner-up with a league-best 55 assists and 90 points in 31 games.

Then there’s their fathers Cody Dittmer and Mike Romanik, who have been friends for decades.

“Carter’s dad Cody was the best man at my dad’s wedding,” recalled Romanik. “Then the two of us start playing together on our school’s hockey team this season, and we built a great chemistry.”

This chemistry had the Vikings battling for first-place all season with the now fifth-place Dauphin Clippers, with the Neepawa Tigers now needing just a win today facing the B/S/R Falcons or on Sunday against the 10th-place Virden Golden Bears to finish first. This will give the Tigers a trip to AAAA high school provincials.

The Vikings have no more games, so they must wait for the Golden Bears and Falcons to be victorious so Vincent Massey learns if they are the first or second seed in the post-season.

Arriving for his second Vikings campaign in the fall, Brandon-born Romanik was not sure how Vincent Massey would do during the 2023-24 season, but then he was put on a line with Dittmer. Success came early. He had some goals for himself, but did not see himself finishing second in the league scoring race.

“I just wanted to win games, and had no thoughts of scoring or setting up lots of goals for our team,” he said. “I just wanted to help us win a championship, like Carter when he joined the team.”

With opposing teams focused on keeping Dittmer’s high-octane offence stymied with Grade 12 checking lines, the Vikings coaches decided to move Romanik to the second line. He did not mind the move because the two forwards saw plenty of time together on special teams.

On the power-play, 16-year-old Romanik had 11 power-play goals, 15 power-play assists, plus added three shorthanded goals. Eighteen-year-old Dittmer was equally impressive on the PK and PP, scoring 18 goals on the power-play, added nine power-play assists, and scored seven times with his team shorthanded.

“When Carter and I are playing together we just know where each other is going to be, or what we’re going to do with or without the puck,” he said. “We had good chemistry, and it’s easy to play with him because Carter makes everyone around him much better players … he brings your level of play up to where he’s playing.”

Currently in Grade 11 at Vincent Massey, Romanik started playing in Hockey Brandon’s program at age six, signing up for Timbits.

“I didn’t think much of hockey when I started, but my love of the game kept growing everytime I stepped on the ice. I looked forward to the weekends when I would be playing … that’s when I learned you work hard in practice, but then have fun playing games.”

While much of his minor hockey was played with house league teams, by the time he reached then U10, Romanik finally made an A team.

“For me, that was exciting to play on that team,” he recalled. “I know I was not the best skater back then, but then I bounced between playing house league or making an A team. By the time I reached my second year of bantam, I made the AA team where I played on a team that won me my first (Hockey Brandon) championship.”

Leaving U15 and making the next step up to play for Brandon’s U17 AAA team, Romanik discovered he had to make a difficult decision where he wanted to play during tryouts. He was also skating at the Vikings tryouts in Grade 10.

“My heart and my gut directed me to Massey, and if I made it (in tryouts), then that’s where I was going to play for the next three years,” he recalled.

While his offensive totals are nowhere near the 90 he recorded this season — he figures he had about 35 points in total — Romanik believes being a year older, playing alongside Dittmer, and his improved hockey IQ have been instrumental in his improved play in his sophomore season.

“I know I’m not the fastest skater, nor am I the strongest player, and my shot is not the hardest, but I make up for it with my hockey IQ on both defence and offence,” he said. “I’d say my passing is a strength because assists are just as important as goals. You don’t have goals unless you’ve taken a pass from a teammate. And I was lucky having Carter to pass to because he scored a lot on my passes.”

Romanik acknowledged to improve secondary scoring in the Vikings lineup, a move for him to drop to the second line was a strategic idea from his coaches. Dittmer lined up with Nash Stone and Theron McGregor, while he now lined up with Brady Wiltsey and Josh Ransom, who he played alongside during the 2022-23 season.

“Teams have to pick their poison when it comes to facing two top lines on a team,” he said. “Dittmer, Stone and McGregor, those three are a strong line, and my line was equally tough so it’s tough to match lines.”

He added, “We needed more secondary scoring because there was a time we had some issues not generating scoring from the whole lineup. With the moves made right now that’s been fixed, so everyone is rolling going into the playoffs.”

Romanik is also familiar with his linemate Wiltsey, because the two players have played minor hockey for more than seven seasons and are best buddies.

“Because Brady and I have been playing together for a long time, and were rookies on this team, we have chemistry and confidence in each other,” he said. “Confidence on the ice is good when you are playing together.”

With the playoffs for the Vikings scheduled to start at Flynn Arena on Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Romanik knows there are still aspects to his game that need improvement, so he can improve on this season’s statistics as he looks ahead to his senior campaign with the Vikings for the 2024-25 season.

“I still need to improve on my shot and skating,” he admitted. “I can play the 200-foot game, but need to tighten up my defensive play to be a better all-around player.

“I will always work hard in practice because our coaches give us high-intensity practices which prepare us for games. I like what they tell us that how you practise is how you are going to play in a game.”

When he’s not playing hockey, Romanik calls himself a two-sport athlete at Vincent Massey. He often leaves varsity basketball practice to arrive at Flynn Arena for another practice. Or visa versa on some days.

“I have to thank my coaches on both teams for being understanding and allowing me to play the two sports I love,” he said. “I’m a shooting guard, or point guard when I play basketball.”

His basketball season came to an end on Wednesday night during his team’s city semifinal after the Neelin Spartans bounced the Vikings from advancing to the league championship versus the Crocus Plainsmen with a 70-60 victory.

“We missed a lot of baskets, and were missing two of our better players,” he said. “Now I can just focus on helping the Vikings win a high school hockey championship (in March).

“If we meet the Swan Valley Tigers in the opening round, it will be revenge for us because we lost to them in an upset during last year’s playoffs. It will be an intense series for sure … playoffs is a different game than what we played during the regular season.”

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