The Humboldt Broncos newest goalie Jared Picklyk was in net for his first SJHL game against the Flin Flon Bombers on Jan. 12. Picklyk and the rest of the green and gold held up the Bombers at home for a 5-2 win. (Submitted photo/Becky Zimmer)

By Becky Zimmer

Fight for second

Broncos wrap Jan. action with 7-3 record, battle for SJHL second place continues

Jan 29, 2023 | 11:07 AM

The Humboldt Broncos gained some headway during January action in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League as some vital wins lead to some valuable points.

Overall, the Broncos outscored the opposition 40 goals to 32 starting off with a split between Flin Flon to start off the month and the new year followed by a few important matches against the Mustangs.

The green and gold finished the month with a 7-3 record for another 14 points in the standings as they rose from a midpack position to now sit third in the league.

Four of these points were against the Battleford North Stars since the Broncos continue to trail the league leading team in the Global Ag Solutions Division.

Head coach Scott Barney noted in an interview at the end of November, games like that are worth four points each in the standings since not only did they earn two points but they kept their opponent from gaining points themselves. This statement rang true again during the Broncos/North Stars home and home week which saw the Broncos dominate in a 4-3 victory at home and a 4-2 in Martinsville for their Hockey Day in Saskatchewan celebration.

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Assistant coach for the Broncos Carter Hansen told northeastNOW after the home game against the North Stars that they had been itching for this weekend since they split the last home and home back in October.

“Battlefords is the top team in Canada…also the division rivals too. That’s another thing you add in. You never want to lose to the division rivals, doesn’t matter if you’re first, second or fourth or whatever place you’re in. It’s always nice to beat your rivals.”

Broncos captain Ethan Zielke said it was a hard week of practice as the Broncos prepared for their North Stars battles, especially since the team hadn’t played since October, but it was a good test for the green and gold as Battleford was just coming off some other close games, he said.

Five points separate the Broncos, the La Ronge Ice Wolves, the Bombers, and the Mustangs as they jockey for second position in the league with only one full month of the 2022-2023 regular season left to play.

With only three losses in January, the Mustangs and Bombers were the only ones to take some Ws from the Broncos. The green and gold took a hit in Flin Flon as the Bombers won at home 6-2, while the Mustangs won twice throughout the month, including a win against the visiting Broncos on Jan. 28 to finish off the month for both teams. These are obviously valuable points for all three teams making that fight for second place all the more exciting.

Zielke returned to action with the Broncos after spending December in Cornwall, Ont. for the 2022 World Junior A Challenge after being selected for Team Canada West.

While he is happy to be back in his green and gold jersey and playing with his teammates, Zielke said he learned a lot from the experience. There’s no one that didn’t want to be there, he said.

“It shows you that there’s a lot of good hockey players out there and you can’t take a day off and you need to be getting better every day and improving yourself to get to that level.”

The team continues to take it one game at a time, but Hansen said the standings are a good measuring stick for where they’re at and what they need to do.

With the rosters now finalized for the season, the Broncos welcomed Jared Picklyk to the ice for his first SJHL game on Jan. 12 against the Bombers.

The 2003-born goaltender brings 40 games of WHL experience after splitting his time between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Tri-City Americans.

The reputation of the Broncos organization was a deciding factor for Picklyk who signed as a free agent for the 2022-2023 season.

“I really wanted to come to Humboldt because of everything I’ve heard about guys from around this area, like (Humboldt product) Logan Barlage. I played with him my first and second season with the Hurricanes. And he had a lot to say about Humboldt and how great of an organization it was,” Picklyk told northeastNOW.

According to the Broncos’ press release, Barney is excited for what the pairing of goalies Picklyk and Benjamin Motew will bring to the remainder of the season.

The Broncos are back on the ice starting with the Millionaires visiting the Elgar Petersen Arena on Feb. 3 to kick off the month.

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becky.zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @bex_zim