(L to R) Andrew Hunt, Colton Schell, Vaclav Prospal, and Gabe Odowichuk will all wear letter for the Mustangs as part of the leadership group. (Submitted photo/Melfort Mustangs)

By Mat Barrett

Mustangs Leadership Group

Prospal named captain as Mustangs announce leadership group

Nov 18, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The Melfort Mustangs have announced their leadership group for the 2020/2021 season.

Defenceman Vaclav Prospal will serve as the captain for the year as voted on by his peers. Mustangs head coach and general manager Trevor Blevins said he gives the players some time together before voting on who should wear the letters that season.

“Vinny brings all the characteristics of what a leader should be on and off the ice,” Blevins said. “His work ethic and attitude is phenomenal.”

Prospal, a 20-year-old out of Tampa, Fla. joined the Mustangs late in the 2019/2020 season from the Sherwood Park Crusaders. He played in 15 games and four playoff games for Melfort after the trade and scored one goal, and added four assists. He said it’s an honour to be able to wear the ‘C’ this year for the Mustangs.

“I’m very appreciative that the young guys look up to me,” he said. “And look up to my fellow assistant captains as well.”

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Prospal currently has five points in four games to open the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season.

As a leader, Prospal said he tries to be vocal on and off the ice and help make the younger players feel more comfortable speaking up when they need to.

“Communication for me, that’s a big part,” he said. “I feel like when everybody is on the same page, that’s when things really start to click.”

Joining Prospal with letters on their jerseys will be fellow defencemen, Andrew Hunt, and Gabe Odowichuk. Forward Colton Schell will also wear an ‘A’ to round out the group. Between the four veterans, they’ve combined for 333 games of Junior A experience heading into the 2020/2021 season, 228 of which have been with the Melfort Mustangs. Prospal also has 39 games of experience playing in the U19 league in the Czech Republic. All three are in their final years of Junior A hockey.

Hunt joined the Mustangs around the same time as Prospal last season and played in 19 regular season games and all four playoff games. He was also an assistant captain with the Olds Grizzly’s before being traded to Saskatchewan. The Gibsons, B.C. product has also spent time with the Lloydminster Bobcats, and played one game with the Victoria Grizzlies.

Odowichuk has spent his entire Junior A career with the Mustangs, joining the team in 2018/2019. The Winnipeg native has 63 regular season games, and 11 playoff games under his belt.

Schell has the most games with the Mustangs out of the group. He was a call-up for Melfort in 2017/2018, playing three games before starting his Junior A career in Alberta with the Camrose Kodiaks where he played 19 games. Schell has since played 82 regular season games with Melfort and 17 playoff games.

Prospal said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s nice to be able to get back on the ice and play hockey. He said the current group of Mustangs is great and they’re hoping to compete for a Canalta Cup this season.

The 2019/2020 season was cancelled in March and Prospal said it was very new for him and everyone else, not being able to play hockey for eight months.

“It made me appreciate the game even more, and made me love the game even more,” Prospal told northeastNOW. “And some of the things that maybe I took for granted or some of the guys took for granted, we appreciate more.”

Prospal said he’s very happy with the group around him, especially on the blue line as he said Odowichuk and Hunt are also great leaders, which he’s grateful for.

The Mustangs are currently 2-2-0-0 on the SJHL season and are back on the ice on Friday, Nov. 20 as they visit the La Ronge Ice Wolves. You can hear that game on 105CJVR and cjvr.com.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6