Tisdale Trojans forward Colby Vranai (centre) pouncing on a rebound during Telus Cup Western Regionals play at the Tisdale RECplex in April. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Trojan Commits

Trojan commits to play Junior A hockey back home

Jun 20, 2019 | 3:05 PM

After finishing his midget hockey career in Tisdale, a former Trojans forward is heading home to start his Junior A career.

Colby Vranai committed to the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) June 17, a decision he said was one of the easiest he’s had to make since Yorkton is his hometown.

“It’s always been one of my dreams since I was a little kid,” Vranai told northeastNOW. “I always used to watch their games with my friends. Now that I’m able to be a part of them, it’s a dream come true.”

Playing a more advanced level of hockey in his hometown isn’t new to Vranai. From 2015 to 2018, he played a full season with the Yorkton Terriers Bantam AA team and two seasons with the Midget AA team, winning provincial championships at both levels.

Vranai’s 31 goals and 46 assists in 71 Midget AA warranted a look from interested Midget AAA programs, including his hometown Yorkton Maulers he played seven games with, although it was his work ethic that coaches noticed the most.

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“I was always a two-way hockey player and a hard worker,” he said. “I wasn’t one of those guys that floated around and looked for a pass in the slot or the one trying to do all the dangles. I just see myself being the player I’ve always been, a hard worker who likes to go in the corners, dig out the puck, find someone that’s out in front, or just try to put it in the back of the net myself.”

Darrell Mann, former Trojans head coach, contacted Vranai during his final Midget AA season in 2017-18 and expressed interest in the two-way forward.

Vranai touched base with Carter Lake, a defenceman for the Junior A Terriers and fellow Yorkton native, who just wrapped up his season with the Trojans at the time. Lake’s recommendation of the organization and the coaching staff influenced Vranai’s decision of venturing out of his hometown.

“The outcome was pretty awesome so I can’t complain,” Vranai said. “Being able to go to Tisdale for my first year and making a run to the Telus Cup were pretty crazy. Not many people get that opportunity. I’ll just cherish those moments and friendships I made with those people for the rest of my life and look back at that bronze medal we won.”

Vranai was deployed in different situations throughout the year and finished the regular season with eight goals and 13 assists in 43 games, along with one goal and three assists in seven games during the Telus Cup national midget hockey championship.

Looking ahead to his first SJHL season back in Yorkton, the opportunity for Vranai to make the Terriers out of training camp is open with wingers Quinton Hobbs and Mason Mullaney aging out of Junior A.

Vranai’s conversations with Terriers Head Coach and General Manager Mat Hehr made signing his commitment easier, as the 18-year-old now knows what will be required of him for the 2019-20 SJHL season and beyond.

“I do feel like I have the opportunity to stick on the roster,” he said. “I just got to show up to camp, do the best I can, show them what I got. Hopefully whatever I show them makes them think that I have a good shot at making the team.”

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow