Playing against bigger players was one of Jayden Wiens' (No. 9 blue and yellow) learning curves during his first WHL season with the Saskatoon Blades (Twitter/@BladesHockey).

By Aaron Schulze

Wiens' Rookie Season

Carrot River’s Jayden Wiens grinds through first WHL season, prepared for his biggest offseason

Mar 29, 2020 | 4:13 PM

Jayden Wiens returned home to Carrot River following his first Western Hockey League (WHL) season with the Saskatoon Blades; perhaps a month too early.

The WHL post-season was set to begin on Friday, March 27, and Wiens’ Blades punched their playoff ticket earlier. Instead, the WHL cancelled the final four to six games of the regular season on March 18, before ultimately cancelling the post-season on March 23, all due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thought we were really starting to heat up; playing our best hockey of the year going into the last five games,” Wiens told northeastNOW. “It’s nothing anybody wanted but there’s not much you can do about it. You’ve got to take it and start focusing on the offseason.”

Exceeding expectations

Though it was shortened, Wiens’ rookie season was a foundation to build on. The former Tisdale Trojans center scored 13 points (seven goals and six assists) in all 63 games; T-18^th in WHL scoring for 16-year-old players.

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Prior to Wiens earning a spot on the Blades, general manager Colin Priestner said the expectation was to play him nearly 40 games, try him on the wing and at centre, and mainly be a bottom-six defensive player. In the end, Wiens suited up every game for the Blades, mostly at centre, with some appearances in a top-six offensive role.

“They gave me every opportunity I could have asked for, even just making the team at 16,” Wiens said. “Defence is something I needed to learn, especially being a centre. It’s hard going into the corners with guys who are over six feet and you’re only 5-8. That comes with time too, getting older and stronger. [The Blades coaching staff] taught me well in how to play against bigger guys… how to use your body positioning to get out of the corners and make smart plays.”

Wiens said the offensive side of the WHL came easier to him, as his quality of teammates improved with him making the jump. He said the Blades staff thought he was best suited at center going forward and he agreed.

Mental grind: small town to big city

Going from playing 30 and 40 regular season games in bantam and midget hockey to over 60 in the WHL wasn’t the largest challenge for Wiens. It was the mental adjustment of living in small towns such as Carrot River and Tisdale to the province’s largest city in Saskatoon with over 270,000 people.

“The schedule was black and white from what I was ever used to,” he said. “Bigger schools and learning how to even drive in the city. We’re working out every day at 8 o’clock in the morning and you’ve got to navigate your way through the city to be there 15 minutes early… getting up at 6:30 in the morning to work out.

“It was a rollercoaster. At times I didn’t know if I wanted it. Then you’ve got to look at the positive outlooks and think ‘I’m 16 and I’m getting as much opportunities as I can ask for.’”

Highlights of the season

Despite the mental and physical grind, Wiens took time to smell the roses in Saskatoon.

His favourite moment was his first career goal, at home, on Oct. 2 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Wiens’ pass from behind the goal line banked off goaltender Bryan Thomson’s skate and in to tie the game 2-2. The Blades eventually won 3-2.

“It wasn’t the prettiest but I got a lot of recognition for it,” Wiens laughed.

Other highlights include starting a game for the first time, being on the ice for O’Canada, hearing his name in the starting line-up, and playing against elite junior competition such as Dylan Cozens – the 7^th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft who Wiens feels was the toughest player he matched up against.

“The whole season was fun. You’re playing in front of thousands of fans, so there’s not much you can’t like about it,” he laughed.

However, Wiens’ brightest accomplishment came after the season concluded. He received the Blades’ Bentley Memorial Academic award for exemplifying superior academic achievement.

Keeping up with studies off the ice in the WHL was just as difficult as improving on the ice.

“You’re at the rink a lot more than you’re at school, it was tough,” he said. “You get your two hours a day and just like at school, you put your work boots on and do what you can. Even when we’re on the road – the 14-day U.S. road trip for example – you get an hour every second day to do homework and you’ve got to get as much done as you can.

“I think it’s one of the biggest awards you can get. If you don’t go pro, you must have schooling somewhere. I think [getting good marks] shows a lot for time management skills.”

‘Biggest offseason of my life’

As a team, Wiens is eager for the Blades’ 2020-21 to begin, as a lot of his teammates within his age range can return.

Wiens, along with forward Colton Dach and defenceman Charlie Wright have full seasons entering their 17-year-old seasons.

Center Tristen Robins, forward Kyle Crnkovic, and defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere are eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft and expected to return.

Brandon Lisowsky, the 9^th overall pick in the 2019 WHL Draft, is also eligible to make the Blades fulltime in 2020-21.

“We’ll be a skilled group next year and hopefully make a run in the playoffs,” Wiens said. “We’ll be pretty close to just as good as we were this year if not better next year. All of us 16-year-olds had a pretty good year and we’re just going to get better.”

Individually, 2020-21 is a crucial season for Wiens, as he’ll be eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft.

“This is probably going to be the biggest offseason of my life,” he said. “Being a smaller guy, I need to take this offseason seriously and get stronger. I’ve never properly trained, we’ll say, to the degree of the WHL. [The Blades staff] were saying they’re going to take me under their wing this summer and show me the proper ways to train and be ready for next year.”

Until then, Wiens expects to book off a few weeks to recover from his rookie season. If all goes according to plan, he said he’ll maintain his shape in Carrot River during the spring before he moves back to Saskatoon in the summer.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow