Head Coach Kevin Kaminski said playoffs should begin by March 18. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Junior Hockey

Kaminski looks back at 2021-22 regular SJHL season

Mar 8, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Players with the La Ronge Ice Wolves are on a much-needed break after securing a spot in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s (SJHL) 2022 playoffs.

“We just finished 12 games in 18 days, so the boys are banged up and exhausted and everything else,” head coach Kevin Kaminski said. “We gave them three days off. I think Sunday they all had a little ice fishing derby, and Monday and today are kind of just rest days. Tomorrow we will get back on the ice.”

The Ice Wolves finished the regular season March 5 in their final away game against the Flin Flon Bombers to end with a 29-24-5 record for 63 points. Team currently sits in sixth place in the league, but they could be bumped to seventh depending on how the Yorkton Terriers finish their season.

There are still 11 regular season games left, but currently the Estevan Bruins are in the top spot with a 43-10-5 record for 91 points. The final scheduled regular game is set for March 14.

“If we get seventh place, we start off with Humboldt,” Kaminski said. “If we get sixth, there’s still a possibility of playing Flin Flon, Melfort which we know really well, or else North Battleford as well. These games this week will tell us a little more. We’re going to be ready for whoever the opposition is.”

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As for the Ice Wolves record, Kaminski explained the team made a lot of progress from where they sat after the first couple of months. He noted there were many injuries to key players, but the situation began to improve in November following a few trades.

“A little bit before Christmas, it was a great turn around and the guys bought in,” Kaminski said. “The care factor, the ultimate work ethic, the leadership, the passion, the heart really took over. The guys became one and, once they got that taste of winning, they enjoyed it. Let’s hope that taste stays in their mouths for playoffs.”

Kaminski expects playoffs for the Ice Wolves will begin March 18 or 19, adding the team will start out on the road. He added the SJHL has yet to decided how many days will pass between playoff games, but the decision should be made soon.

Kaminski also expressed his gratitude for the tri-communities support this season, particularly the high number of fans who attended the last few games.

“That’s what we need for playoffs. We need to pack the Mel,” he said. “We need their support. It’s a great community. I think the boys did as much as possible to get involved in the community this year with COVID, but I think we put a good product on the ice. With the noise and the fans there, it makes a big difference to play in front of that.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno