Saskatoon product Braeden Jockims has joined the Nipawin Hawks from the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Adequate addition

Hawks add Jockims; two players named among weekly honourees

Nov 15, 2023 | 7:50 AM

The Nipawin Hawks made news this week as the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) club gets set to open their Showcase schedule Wednesday in Warman.

Leading up to the four-day event hosted by the Legends Centre in Warman, the Hawks had two players named among the SJHL Player of the Week award winners.

Braxton Buckberger was named the Forward of the Week after a two-goal, two-assist output in three games.

Meanwhile, first-year defenseman Landon Pappas was named the Rookie of the Week after the Airdrie, Alta. product put up a goal and four assists in the trio of games the team had scheduled last week.

Hawks’ Head Coach Tad Kozun said individual awards come when the team plays well, which they did winning two of three games.

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“It comes from team play when you are losing hockey games nobody gets recognized. When you start winning hockey games other guys are going to get recognized. When you are sitting in that locker room you have to be happy for every guy in there,” Kozun said the day ahead of the Hawks’ first Showcase contest against the Notre Dame Hounds.

Other news off the ice was the team has added 2005-born forward Braeden Jockims from the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Portland Winterhawks. Nipawin originally drafted the Saskatoon product in the 2020 Bantam Draft, but he ultimately chose the major junior route. Kozun said Jockims is a player the organization always wanted to suit up for them.

“We don’t know how long he’s here for, but we will make sure we develop him,” Kozun said. “His ultimate goal is to get back there, but while he is here, we expect him to help our team tremendously.”

The Hawks will also meet the Yorkton Terriers at the annual Showcase that’s pushed back to later in the season this year. Kozun said playing in front of NCAA, USports, WHL, and other scouts is exciting, but the games still count in the standings and success in the team game will stand out to higher-ups despite game times of 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m.

“The message is go out there and keep doing our thing. It doesn’t matter what time the game is, we have to make sure we’re ready to go for puck drop,” he concluded.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

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