TISDALE — The Tisdale duo of Jordan Simoneau and Carter Sawatzky helped the Nipawin Hawks fly to their first Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship in 28 years.
In a tight Game 7 of the SJHL finals, Nipawin scored in the third period to get by the Estevan Bruins, 2-1, and win the best-of-seven series, 4-3. It was the Hawks’ first league championship since 1990.
“Being able to play hockey from the beginning of September until the start of May was pretty special, but coming out of it all with a championship is pretty sweet,” Simoneau said. “It was really good for us and the community. Nipawin was long overdue for a championship and to do it with the group of men that we had this year was amazing.”
Simoneau and Sawatzky, both 1999-born rookies, helped the Hawks post an SJHL best 43-8-3-4 regular season record. In the playoffs, Nipawin dispatched Flin Flon, 4-1, and led Humboldt, in a semifinal series, 3-1, before the Broncos bus tragedy on April 6 that claimed 16 lives. The league decided to continue with the playoffs and Nipawin and Estevan competed for the SJHL championship. Both teams wore Broncos ribbons and the Hawks donned green helmets to honour the Humboldt team. What allowed the Hawks to persevere and be successful?
“There was continuous support from not only Nipawin, but all over the province that supported us the whole year,” Simoneau said.
“After everything that happened it could’ve been easy to just quit, but with the support from everyone it really helped us out. Looking around the room at all of the guys, we were playing for each other but we were also playing for Humboldt. They really motivated everyone.”
The Hawks advanced to battle the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion Steinbach Pistons for the Anavet Cup and a berth into the Royal Bank Cup, Canada’s national Junior A hockey championship tournament. Steinbach got by Nipawin, 4-2, in the best-of-seven series.
Simoneau had 24 points in 42 regular season games for the Hawks. In the SJHL playoffs, the 6-foot-5, 218-pound forward scored two goals and had three points in 14 contests. The son of Luc and Sharolyn Simoneau also competed in five Anavet Cup games.
“Jordan brought a physical presence and the ability to change a game with his shot or a big hit,” said Doug Johnson, the Hawks’ head coach.
A defenceman, Sawatzky posted four points in 31 regular season games. An injury kept the son of Terry and Deena Sawatzky out of action for all of the SJHL playoffs. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound blue liner played one Anavet Cup game.
Johnson said Sawatzky “was a great teammate and was ready when we needed him.” The coach said that both Tisdale products “have very bright junior careers and hopefully more if they want to keep developing and working hard.”
The hockey season can be long and grueling, especially when it includes a playoff run as deep as the Hawks had. Having the backing of your family can greatly help a player.
“I can’t even begin to explain the amount of support I got from my family,” Simoneau said. “To have them travelling all over the province and even into Manitoba is very heart warming. Everything they’ve done this year is unbelievable and I can’t seem to thank them enough.”
Trojan tracks
Four former Tisdale Trojans midget AAA hockey players contributed to the Hawks’ success this past winter. Simoneau, Daven Smith, Brandan Arnold, and Josh McDougall all developed their games with the Trojans. In addition, Sawatzky played one game as an affiliated player with Tisdale before spending two seasons with the Beardy’s Blackhawks.
“The Trojans are a very good program that develops their players to play at the next level,” Johnson said.
“It is unintentional that we have a lot of Tisdale alumni, but we both scout and recruit from the same footprint, which is why I believe we have so many Trojan alumni.”
McDougall, a defenceman, scored the Hawks’ championship-winning goal. Arnold was named the SJHL Playoff MVP after racking up 10 goals and posting 21 points in 16 games. He led the team in SJHL playoff scoring while McDougall was second with 20. Smith, a forward, had four points in the league post-season.
