Marshall makes Team West

Three members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League have earned the right to represent their country at the World Junior A Challenge Nov. 8 to 14 in Penticton, B.C.
Forwards Ryan Marshall (Swan Valley Stampeders) and Mitchell Van Teeling (Dauphin Kings) will be joining goaltender Matt Krahn (OCN Blizzard) on the Team West squad.
Trying out for the team, but not making the final cut, were Connor Clevereley (Winnipeg Blues) and Jordan Neduzak (Winkler Flyers).
Krahn, who wasn’t even invited to the tryout camp, becomes the first netminder from the MJHL to make this team. MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis weighed in on why he thought the Blizzard netminder was chosen.
“Matt was picked to the Team West squad based on his outstanding performance during the regular season,” Davis said of Krahn’s selection. “This selection reinforces the importance of players doing their best each and every game. Evaluators at various levels of hockey are always watching.”
The Blizzard will actually be missing two key people from their team – also joining Team West from the MJHL will be assistant coach Jomar Cruz of OCN Blizzard, a former netminder himself.
Team West is made up of players from the British Columbia Hockey League, Alberta Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League and Superior International Junior Hockey League.
This year Team West will play in Group B, taking on Russia and Switzerland in the round-robin. Team East, will play Sweden and the United States in the other pool.
• Rookie Bryn Chyzyk of the Dauphin Kings was selected as the MJHL Player of the Week.
The Dauphin King forward had three goals and three assists in four games for his Kings, who posted a 2-2 record.
With his outburst, the 18-year-old moved into a tie for the rookie scoring lead with eight goals and 21 points in 18 games.
Also considered for this award was Evan Gravenor of the Winnipeg Blues and Cole Pruden of Winnipeg Saints. Both players are 20 years old.
Gravenor recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in two games for the Blues.
Pruden scored three goals and added two assists in two games for the Saints.
• In the most recent CJHL rankings, two MJHL teams cracked the top 20.
The Swan Valley Stampeders were ranked 15th, while the Selkirk Steelers were ranked 16th.
The Portage Terriers also received an honourable mention.
Given how close things are in the MJHL these days, don’t be surprised if new teams pop in and out of the rankings all season long.
• Some suspensions to announce, starting with the bench boss of the Dauphin Kings.
Head coach Marlin Murray was suspended for two games after receiving a gross misconduct penalty Oct. 23 in a game against the Winnipeg Saints.
Also, Winkler Flyer Daniel Fainman was been suspended two games after receiving a major penalty for a blow to the head Oct. 19 versus the Dauphin Kings.
In the trade department, the Kings made a pair of deals. They started by trading 20-year-old defenceman Jacob Harcoff to the Miramichi Timberwolves of the MJAHL for future considerations.
They also acquired 19-year-old forward Brendan Kotyk from the top team in Canada, the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL, for future considerations.
In other deals, the Selkirk Steelers traded 20-year-old defenceman Brendan Boyle to the Manitoulin Islanders of the NOJHL for future considerations.
Also, the Steinbach Pistons have traded 19-year-old forward Hartwell Marable, as well as future considerations, to the Quesnel Millionaires of the BCHL for 20-year-old forward Sterling Bear. The Martensville, Sask., native has amassed a large number of penalty minutes in his junior career across Canada and will provide the Pistons with some real grit.
• As Western Hockey League teams pare down their rosters, there is a trickle-down effect which could benefit some MJHL teams.
The Swan Valley Stampeders just added another young player to their roster as the Regina Pats assigned 16-year-old defenceman Landon Peel to the junior A ranks.
The Pats are high on young Peel, who’s older brother Jeff also plays for the Stampeders. But they feel he needs to play more, and so they felt a year of junior A hockey would benefit him more.
The Stampeders have a long history of 16-year-old players who went on to be productive WHL players and even NHL draft picks. This long list includes Barry Brust, Walker Wintoneak, Brodie Dupont, Ricky Kozak and Justin Falk, who recently scored his first NHL point as a member of the Minnesota Wild.