The Melfort Mustangs (blue) and Nipawin Hawks (white) did some business with one another on June 3 as there seems to be more optimism about getting back to business. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Northeast Junior A Hockey

Hawks and Mustangs make trade, react to Hockey Canada lifting activity ban

Jun 4, 2020 | 6:30 PM

The days between day one of the Canada Junior Hockey League’s (CJHL) on June 1 and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Bantam Draft on June 5 have kept SJHL teams occupied.

The Melfort Mustangs and Nipawin Hawks are no exceptions. The northeast rivals completed a trade late on June 3 that saw the Mustangs trade Christian Albertson, Carter Stebbings, and a conditional SJHL Draft pick to the Hawks in exchange for a player development fee.

In a convoluted trade, the Mustangs owed future considerations to the Whitecourt Wolverines in Alberta as part of the Alex Rondeau trade in September 2019. However, the Wolverines also owed the Hawks future considerations as part of the Zach Cox trade in January. Essentially, the Mustangs paid future considerations to the Hawks on behalf of the Wolverines.

Albertson, a 2001-born center, scored 16 points (nine goals and seven assists) in 41 games with the Mustangs as a rookie in 2019-20. Stebbings, a 2002-born center, scored 50 points (16 goals and 34 assists) in 35 games with the Saskatoon Blazers in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) in 2019-20.

Hawks

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Doug Johnson, Hawks head coach and general manager, said they needed depth and experience at forward. He described Albertson as a big-bodied center with speed and great work ethic below the hashmarks, and Stebbings as a skilled playmaker who could eventually lead the SJHL in scoring one season.

“We know [Stebbings] is going to try [and make the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey] and we wish him the best with that,” Johnson said. “We like stockpiling draft picks, so it was a deal that made a lot of sense for us.”

As SJHL coaches were partaking in league meetings on June 4, Hockey Canada announced it lifted its national ban on sanctioned activities, leaving its 13 regional members – including the Saskatchewan Hockey Association – to make their respective final return-to-hockey decisions.

“We had a pretty good sense that it was going to be happening sooner rather than later, but the ball is in the government’s court,” Johnson said. “We’re waiting on the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). I know the SJHL is sitting down with some members from the SHA in the next 10 days. It’s not like Saskatchewan is a hot spot right now. We’re planning business as usual; start camp in early September and get going mid-September.”

Johnson said the Hawks have had to put more trust into their scouts as they were unable to see their recruits for the 2020-21 SJHL season skate in person during their training camp.

Still, other transactions have continued as normal. It was revealed in March that Burke Simpson, a 2001-born forward, would be leaving the Hawks for Jamestown of the North American Hockey League, while new recruits such as forward Maddux Nolski from St. Albert, Alta. announced their signings on Twitter.

Johnson said the Hawks’ next focus is the SJHL Bantam Draft on June 5.

Mustangs

Trevor Blevins, Mustangs head coach and general manager, elected not to comment on the trade with the Hawks, but said the announcement from Hockey Canada was a positive one.

“There’s still a lot of grey area that needs to be chartered through,” Blevins said. “We’ll respect the authorities that need to make those decisions. It’s up to [the Saskatchewan Hockey Association], our league, and the SHA. There’s a lot of time to get through it but it’s definitely a positive message.

“We haven’t really been given any direction; it’s still day by day. As far as registering players and opening the recruiting process, that’s business as usual.”

Blevins said not having a spring camp due to the COVID-19 pandemic was detrimental, as he and staff couldn’t see how the Mustangs’ new recruits have progressed over the year, but he’s still pleased with the players coming in for 2020-21.

Like the Hawks, the Mustangs have had a few of their commitments announced on other platforms. The signings of forwards Ty Albrecht and Ethan McKibbin were unveiled on Twitter, while the SMAAAHL’s website unveiled that Blazers center Logan Cox had committed to Melfort.

Blevins said the Mustangs’ recruiting list will continue to take shape over the summer, but his team’s next priority is also the SJHL Bantam Draft on June 5.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow