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By Mat Barrett

Skapski Commits

Skapski heading to RMC for post-secondary hockey

May 16, 2019 | 4:22 PM

A Melfort Mustang defender is heading out to Ontario for his post-secondary hockey and schooling.

Marshall Skapski announced his commitment to the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) for the 2019/2020 hockey season to play for the Paladins. Skapski said RMC was a great fit because he got a good vibe with the coach, but the other big part of it was off the ice.

“I’m very interested in all the skills and training we’re going to learn over the next five years,” Skapski told northeastNOW. “Just a chance to see the world, and get some experience, some life experience and I’m also liking it because of the team atmosphere it offers.”

Skapski came to the Melfort Mustangs in a trade in November and really solidified the Mustang blue line. He eventually was paired with Boedy Donald, creating one of the most reliable defensive pairings in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). Skapski said he was very grateful to come to Melfort.

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“I met some really great people, had the best teammates I’ve ever had before,” he said. “And we were able to win quite a few games, so that was fun.”

Immediately after Skapksi arrived via a trade with the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, the Mustangs went on a 10-game win streak in the month of November. That was also followed by an 11-game win streak in February.

Skapski said his favourite memory as a Mustang was all the off-ice stuff the team was able to do.

“I’d never really been to Saskatchewan before,” Skapski said. “The different things you see, and the different activities we would do as a group, it was pretty new and I really enjoyed it.”

As for his commitment to play in the Ontario University Athletic Association, Skapski said he never thought he would go play at a Canadian University when he started playing junior hockey.

“Seeing my brother sign right out of junior and go play pro, I thought maybe that was possible for me,” he said. “So I never really necessarily wanted to go to a Canadian school, you obviously want to go pro. But when I turned 18, 19, I was really looking this way.”

He said the decision to go into military school was something that he’s thought about for a while.

“It kind of just happened,” Skapski said. “I mean it’s been in the back of my head forever, but I just never thought I would ever go down that road, and I’m glad I did.”

Skapski said he will be taking military psychology while at RMC, and he said he chose the military because he wants to serve his country.

“Even though I’m not doing much like the World War II guys or all that,” Skapski said. “I just want to play a little bit of a part in sustaining our free country.”

Skapski said he would like to become a logistics officer in the Navy, then possibly go back to school and get his masters, and even maybe a doctorate.

The Abbotsford, B.C. product ends his junior A hockey career with 40 regular season SJHL games where he tallied 13 points, and 15 playoff games, notching one assist. Skapski’s BCHL career spanned 187 regular season and playoff games where he tallied 49 points.

In a news release, Mustangs Head Coach Trevor Blevins called Skapksi a great person and a great player.

“Marshall is the typical do-what-it-takes hockey player,” Blevins said. “Whether it’s shutting down a top line, or blocking multiple shots, he’s the guy you want on your back end.”

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6