Saskatoon Blades rookies take turns celebrating career firsts – Saskatoon | The Canadian News

Winning hockey games is fun. Achieving a few career milestones along the way is just the icing on the cake.

The Saskatoon Blades are off to a solid start, going 4-1-1 in their first six games, and while the team’s stars have played a role in that success, a number of rookies are also contributing, leading to some memorable moments. .

A Blades player has scored his first goal in the Western Hockey League in four straight games.

Defender Tanner Molendyk started the streak in a 6-2 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on October 9. Forward Tyler Parr added his first goal in a rematch with the Wheat Kings on October 13.

Import forwards Egor Sidorov and Moritz Elias did the same in games against Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw, respectively.

“It was crazy. I grew up watching the league and growing up and seeing all the good players in the league, and finally being here and scoring and having that feeling was so amazing. It will be a good memory for a long time,” Parr said of his milestone.

However, it is not just about goals. Blades backup goalkeeper Ethan Chadwick scored his first WHL win in his first start, supporting his team in a 4-3 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors.

The former Saskatoon contact says it was exciting to get the call from head coach Brennan Sonne telling him the game was going to start.

“Obviously I was excited, I told my friends, I told my family and everyone was happy for me. I was also a little nervous going into my first game, but obviously the result was good, so I’m looking forward to starting many more, ”said the goalkeeper.

Whether it’s a victory or a goal, the former is always special. It also serves to assure players that they do belong to the WHL.

“It makes me think in my mind that I can really play in this league, so it gives me a little more confidence, but at the same time, the work is not completely done yet, so I have to keep pushing myself in practice and working hard. “. Chadwick said.

Going into the season, Parr says he tried not to focus too much on finding the record.

“Obviously I was trying to score, I was trying to play well, but I never thought, ‘Oh, I have to get first, you know I have to get him out of the way,’ but after scoring it was good to have that relief,” he said.

The Blades head coach has enjoyed watching his young players take turns celebrating their career milestones.

“That is why I dedicated myself to training. It’s what I enjoy. I enjoy watching people succeed. I like to be part of it and help in any way I can. I love watching people grow, develop and move up in the world. It is the joy of training. That’s the best part, ”said Brennan Sonne.

For players, sharing their important moments with teammates in similar positions only adds to the fun.

“It’s not like one of us, it’s our first time and things like that, like we’re all going through that together, so it’s been great feeding each other,” Parr said.

Chadwick says getting those important “firsts” out of the way has helped ease some of the rookies’ nerves.

“The locker room is a little bit more positive now and all the guys support each other a little bit more, so it’s really good to celebrate those first steps with all the guys,” he said.

And the memories they create will last a lifetime, no matter where the game takes them.