Team Canada West camp invite another sign of Bronco Karter McNarland’s impressive season

“Obviously before the season we would have never guessed [he’d be invited], but with his skill he’s getting better every day and every game he plays a lot of minutes for us,” Barney told northeastNOW. “For a kid his age, I think it’s a great opportunity for him to put himself at that talent level and see where he sits.”

Barney said it’s unfortunate to only see two SJHL players attend Team Canada West’s camp, as the SJHL is an older league and Team Canada West can only carry five 19-year-olds for the World Junior A Challenge. He believes there will be a higher crop of SJHL players who could be invited in 2020.

With only two out of 44 attendees from the SJHL, the chances for McNarland and Porterfield making the team could be slim. However, Barney said anything can happen at training camp.

“[Team Canada West] have certain guys high on the totem pole, but guys like Karter, Nic, and other players in other leagues to knock some of these guys off the totem pole,” he said. “That happens at every level whether it’s midget, bantam, junior, or even professional. You’ve got to knock some guys off and open some eyes up.”

A look at 16-year-olds in the SJHL

Only two 16-year-old players – McNarland and defenceman Noah Balarge – have played in more than 20 games in the 2019-20 SJHL season. Both suit up for the Broncos.

Playing 20 games as a 16-year-old in the SJHL is already a rare accomplishment. Since 2010-11, only 10 other 16-year-olds have played 20 games or more in the SJHL, one of them being defenceman Chase Lacombe on Barney’s Broncos last season.

The SJHL allows a maximum of eight 20-year-old players for each team, which is enticing for a squad with post-season and championship ambitions. But Barney isn’t concerned with ages.

“If you’re good enough to play in the league, you can play in the league,” Barney said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 16 or 20. Obviously our league is a little older, so some kids may be skeptical as far as minutes played. Every situation is different depending on the clubs, but it would be good for our league if we could get younger. It’d be better to get more [colleges and universities] up watching the players and get more kids recruited to schools.

“Every coach handles things different, but for us there’s been success for both our 16-year-olds and we hope it opens doors for potential players in the future.”

In 2019-20, McNarland’s 0.77 points-per-game is second best in 10 years for 16-year-old’s in the SJHL. His 20 points (five goals and 15 points) in 26 games is already the fifth highest point total for a 16-year-old in the last decade.

Barney thought McNarland could make the Broncos since he appeared at the team’s spring camp in 2019. Since then, he’s fourth in team scoring and has played in all situations for the Broncos.

Because McNarland is thriving in the SJHL as a 16-year-old, Barney knows there’s a risk involved with a core player potentially moving on to a higher level of hockey, whether it be in the Western Hockey League (WHL) or collegiate hockey in Canada or the United States.

The SJHL’s two 16-year-olds in 2018-19 – Lacombe with the Broncos and Nipawin Hawks forward Jaxsen Wiebe – have moved on to the WHL with Swift Current and Red Deer respectively just one year after playing full seasons with their SJHL clubs.

Although they aren’t 16-year-olds, there are other recent examples in the SJHL of younger players moving up to the WHL. Zack Smith, a 17-year-old center, was scooped up by the Regina Pats in late October after scoring 14 points (six goals and eight assists) in 15 games with the Melfort Mustangs in 2019-20.

Barney experienced another case of losing another younger player to the WHL after last season when 2001-born goaltender Rayce Ramsay earned a spot with the Kamloops Blazers in 2019-20.

Despite already losing two younger players to the WHL, Barney isn’t afraid of giving more players such as McNarland more opportunities to make the Broncos in the future.

“We’re a development league, so we shouldn’t be upset when guys go up to a higher level,” he said. “It knocks your roster a bit, especially when a major player goes out, but for me it looks good on your organization when a player moves on to the next level. If Karter goes to the WHL then that’s a great decision for him and his family. But if he decides to go the college route, we’re here for him in Humboldt. He knows we can make him a better player and go on to get a full scholarship and play professionally as well.

“We’re supportive of either side and I think that’s a reason why some of these younger players came here as well.”

Barney and McNarland will attend Team Canada West’s selection camp from Dec. 1 to 3 in Calgary before the World Junior A Challenge takes place in Dawson Creek, B.C. beginning Dec. 7.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

by Aaron Schulze

Team Canada West camp invite another sign of Bronco Karter McNarland’s impressive season

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