Birtle’s Malchuk commits to Cougars

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/02/2022 (1505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tony Bertone didn’t make the 90-minute drive to Birtle to scout Payton Malchuk.

But just one Birtle Bruiskies game had the Assiniboine Community College Cougars women’s hockey coach wondering why he hadn’t. Bertone made another road trip from Brandon, this time to Minnedosa to see the five-foot-eight forward battle in the Westman High School Hockey League.

“She got rocked there once, she got up and shook it off, no tears, no nothing,” said Bertone, who was ready to offer her a spot on the spot.

“I’m thinking ‘Wow, she can take a hit like that in boys hockey, she’s going to do well in our hockey for sure. She’s got some toughness and some scoring touch.”

Malchuk joined Emma Ramsey in the rookie class for the 2022-23 American Collegiate Hockey Association women’s Division 2 season.

Malchuk wasn’t expecting to attract attention from a post-secondary program. She’s been playing her whole life — “It’s kind of the thing all kids did in town” — but thought that door was closed when she left the Yellowhead Chiefs AAA program after two years of bantam. She said she didn’t try out for the under-18 club and opted to join the Bruiskies in the Rural Manitoba Female Hockey League.

She’s tied for league leads of 12 goals and 10 assists through 12 games with teammate Kate-Leigh Heapy, and also sits first with 18 penalty minutes. Birtle is 11-0-1 and well atop the seven-team loop.

Malchuk also has three goals and three assists in 16 high school games with the Birtle-Shoal Lake-Rossburn Falcons.

“It puts a new perspective to hockey,” Malchuk said of the WHSHL. “I got to keep my head up and be a lot more aware of my surroundings. It’s just a new level. I wanted a bit more difficulty and definitely get it playing boys.

“Getting hit doesn’t really phase me.”

Her older brother Parker knows a thing or two about travelling for hockey. The current Dauphin Kings captain played for the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals in 2018-19 and Saskatoon Blades in 2019-20, before dropping down to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Neepawa Titans. He was dealt to Portage that year, then Dauphin before the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Having watched Parker’s journey, Payton’s glad she’ll be fairly close to home most of the year.

She got accepted into ACC’s digital art design program and aspires to become a tattoo artist.

“It’s pretty different from what other people in my family are,” Malchuk said. “I’m more into the creative side. I got a couple of tattoos and think the whole process is just so cool.”

She has a vine wrapping around her arm, and a rose on her forearm with “Love, Granny” in her late grandmother Rachel’s handwriting.

Malchuk has an eye for design, and also for the ice.

“I can find open ice pretty easily and read plays, and I’m smart about the game. I’ve got a pretty good shot and I like to score,” Malchuk said, adding she needs to work on her defensive positioning.

Bertone’s hoping the scouting trip bears more fruit yet, but he’s already satisfied with landing the talented Falcon.

“The trip,” Bertone said, “was worth driving out to Birtle.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @thomasmfriesen