Magarrell commits to Univeristy of Jamestown

Brett Magarrell may be moving further from home, but his heart has never felt closer.

The 20-year-old Dauphin Kings defenceman from Domain has put pen to paper, committing to play American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 hockey with the University of Jamestown Jimmies out of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season.

“I was always hoping that I would get the opportunity for something like this, so it was a good feeling to finally figure out where I’m gonna play next year and all that,” said Magarrell earlier this week. “It’s a great school and I ended up going down there to check it all out and it’s a beautiful place down there, so it’s a nice feeling to know what the vibe is down there and I think I’ll fit right in, which will be good.”

While knowing where he’ll be lacing up the skates next season is relieving, what’s even more so is his plan for schooling, as Magarrell will be studying agriculture in hopes of one day taking over the reins of his family farm.

Magarrell was thrust into the farm life under the tutelage of his mom, Jennifer, and dad, Jon as early as possible. Whether it meant greasing all the tools and equipment or wheeling around in the grain cart for harvesting, he was along for the ride and now has grown quite fond of the work.

“I love it and someone’s got to take the farm over at some point, so it might as well be me,” he said. “It’s kind of just been the family doing all the work, which is good because I learned a lot of skills growing up.”

He said if he doesn’t end up in manual labour, he’d like to pursue a business career in agriculture anyway, so it’s a win-win.

Magarrell mulled over a number of post-secondary opportunities where he could play hockey and complete his agriculture studies, which included Iowa and Minot State, but figured his best option was Jamestown because of how close it is to home, being just over a four-hour drive back to Domain.

“I sent the coach an email and then within 30 minutes, I got a text back from him and then we kind of just started talking from there,” Magarrell said. “By the end of March, I made my final decision to go to Jamestown, so it’s been good.”

He visited early last week to check out the campus and rink, and talk to head coach Dean Stork and his fellow Jimmies teammates. He met around eight of the guys he will suit up with next season and luckily for him, he already knows a few very well too.

Hamiota’s Rylan Gage, who’s played the last three seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with Magarrell and served as Dauphin’s team captain this year, has also inked a deal with Jamestown for the fall. Magarrell said he was ecstatic to hear his captain would be joining him and a Jimmies squad that finished third place in the Midwest division with a 23-13-1, before losing 5-0 to Adrian College at nationals in Maryland Heights, Mo., in March.

“It’ll be awesome” he said. “I’ve spent the past three years in Dauphin with him and he’s a good guy, so it’ll be a blast to get a few more years in with him.”

In addition to Gage, the five-foot-11, 190-pound left-shot blue-liner will also reunite with Sully Ross, a longtime friend of Magarrell’s who also works on the farm. Ross, a LaSalle product, played three-and-a-half seasons with the Winkler Flyers and 22 games with the Portage Terriers before signing with the Jimmies last summer. He notched two goals and four points in 12 games in his rookie campaign.

As for Magarrell, he should be expected to have the same role he did with the Kings as a solid and reliable shut-down guy who can skate well and move the puck up quickly. He may not be the flashiest defender out there, but he gets the job done in his own end more often than not and can chip in offensively here and there as well.

He said it’s a similar style to his uncle, Adam, a former Brandon Wheat King defender who was also drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth round of the 1994 National Hockey League draft.

Brett Magarrell was originally drafted by Portage in the fourth round of the 2020 MJHL draft and played 31 games in 2023, but was then moved to Dauphin at the trade deadline along with two draft picks in exchange for defenceman Aidan Brook and forward Rhett Perrin, who’s spent the last year and a half in Westman with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.

Magarrell tallied five goals and 26 points in 111 regular season contests and 26 playoff games for the Kings. He chalked up two goals and 12 points along with 26 penalty minutes this year, earning himself the team’s most improved player award before blanking in the post-season similar with many of his teammates after they were swept by the Wolverines in the first round.

While Magarrell came very close to capturing a Turnbull Cup last season after losing in the final to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard in Game 7 triple overtime, he never ended up raising a trophy. He hopes his tenure with the Jimmies holds a different future, but is grateful for all the memories and life-long friends he’s made in Dauphin.

“You always want to win but being that close and not getting it was kind of heartbreaking, so it kind of just fuels the fire for wanting to win more,” said Magarrell.

“I’m gonna remember the locker room because every team I’ve been on has just been full of great guys that I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life. All the memories I made up there in Dauphin, I mean, there wasn’t much to do in town, but ice fishing with the guys, just chilling at guys’ houses, is something I’ll remember forever.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com