Moose Jaw Warriors Looking to Continue on Rebuilding Road

The Moose Jaw Warriors are beyond question and without a doubt Moose Jaw’s team of choice. Fans this past season might not have had the greatest number of wins to cheer for, but there’s also little question the future is as bright as can be for the chief tenant of Mosaic Place – the 4,500-seat jewel of the prairies found in the city’s downtown core. After three-straight 40-win-plus seasons, the Warriors finished the COVID-19-abbreviated 2019-20 campaign with a 16-44-4-0 record, last in the East Division and second last in the Eastern Conference. It was a record general manager Alan Millar told fans was coming at the annual general meeting, and that dividends would most certainly be seen down Moose Jaw Warriors Ryder Korczak and Eric Alarie celebrate a goal with Owen Hardy. the road. With that in mind, Millar would end up building the youngest team in the Canadian Hockey League, with their average age at the end of the season hovering around the high 16-years-old to low 17-yearsold range. That means the future was on full display, giving players like team leading scorer Ryder Korczak, 17, (18-49-67) and 2018 WHL Bantam Draft firstround pick Eric Alarie, 16, (7-14-21) plenty of time to develop their game through the season. Defenceman Daemon Hunt, 17, (0-15-15) is expected to be a high National Hockey League draft pick this summer despite suffering a skate-blade cut to his arm that cost him two months of the season. Overage forward Owen Hardy (22-13-35) served as the team’s captain, with Korczak, Hunt and 19-yearold forward Tate Popple (11-3-14) serving as assistants. Defenceman Chase Hartje (5-17-22) and Carson Sass (1-4-5) were the club’s other 20-year-olds. Millar wasn’t afraid to do what he could to improve the team for the future, either, and made a host

of deals and call-ups that saw a total of 46 play

Moose Jaw Warriors Ryder Korczak and Eric Alarie cel ebrate a goal with Owen Hardy. ers come through the Warriors line-up through the season. That included the blockbuster trade of the season at the WHL trading deadline, when NHL first-round draft pick Brayden Tracey and standout goaltender Adam Evanoff were sent to the Victoria Royals in exchange for Moose Jaw product defenceman Nolan Jones along with goaltender Brock Gould and forward Logan Doust. The regular season was officially postponed on Mar. 13 when Hockey Canada announced the cancellation of all playoffs and national championships.