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Mintos skip rebuild, a factor once again in the SMAAAHL

Jan 13, 2012 | 5:30 PM

With only five returning players to this year’s roster, in theory, this season should probably be a rebuild year for the Prince Albert Mintos.

That has certainly not been the case.

The Mintos are a force and are among the top of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League standings, despite playing the least amount of games, just 27.

They also had an excellent turnout at the Mac’s Midget AAA Tournament in Calgary, reaching the semifinals after a 4-0 start in the round robin.

Although they were disappointing in their last game, a 6-3 loss to the Saskatoon Contacts Thursday, the Mintos have still been consistently a tough beat for any team in Saskatchewan or even Western Canada.

So with only five guys returning, how have they been able to skip the rebuilding process and been as good as they have been this year?

To me, it boils down to four factors.

1) Promoting offensive threats from the AA ranks

The Mintos’ top two scorers are Brett Njaa, 14 goals, 35 points in 27 games, and Matt Anholt, 10 goals, 33 points in 27 games.

Both of these young gentlemen played in Midget AA last year as Njaa, from Birch Hills, lead North East with 33 points in 21 games, last season in the Centre Four Hockey League. Anholt was third in Centre Four Midget AA scoring last year with 47 points in 22 games for the Prince Albert Lite-Way Electric Thunder.

Both of these 17-year-old AAA rookies, who play on the same line with 15-year-old Miles Warkentine, have been key in the Mintos’ success this year, contributing offensively on both the power play and penalty kill.

The Mintos are definitely the structured, defence-first team they’ve been for a very long time, but at some point, you have put the puck in the net and create some offence. These guys have taken that roll on and have been very consistent this season in their offensive production.

2) The goaltenders

Head coach Tim Leonard said hey was biting his nails throughout the summer, knowing he’d lose Taran Kozun and Dawson MacAuley to the junior ranks and have to start from scratch to find two new goaltenders.

Well he landed a couple of beauties in Tanner Burgardt and Tyrell King, who have shared the load this season and have quickly become one of the better tandems in the SMAAAHL. The Mintos are second in the league in goals against average with 2.67, one of just three teams in the league with a GAA under 3.00.

Burgardt is third in the league in goals against 2.45, and King is in seventh with 2.78. Burgardt is also second in the league in wins with 11. Both can also play the puck very well, which takes pressure off the defence. Both Burgardt and King have been pleasant surprises this year.

3) Michael Statchuk

At the Mac’s, Statchuk was named the Best Defenceman, a First Team All-Star and won a scholarship award. With how well he’s played his year, he may win those awards in the SMAAAHL as well.

Statchuk, or known to teammates as ‘Stats,’ is leading all defenceman with 24 points, but has not sacrificed his solid defensive game. He had 12 points in all of last year as a stay at home, 16-year-old. Fellow 17-year-old Luc Lemire has also had a similar success scoring from the blueline with 21 points, tied for third among defenceman.

4) The Venice House Pirates graduates

The five guys in this group all got drafted in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and have been improving every game, and are the biggest reason why I think this Mintos team will be an even bigger force in the second half of the season.

Miles Warkentine has been a great story so far this year for the Mintos. Playing primarily on the third line, Warkentine admitted he was timid to start the season, making the safe play and registering just one assist in his first seven games.

He has since exploded, scoring 13 points in all of his last seven games, despite breaking his wrist and missing close to two months. He’s a great two-way player with a ton of offensive skill. If there are any Moose Jaw Warriors fans reading this, get excited about this kid.

Defenceman Jordan Harris, 10th overall pick by the Prince George Cougars, has been a steady defensive presence. His presence in offensive situations, especially on the power play, is getting better every game.

Ryan Duret has had a nagging groin injury this year, but has been able to produce when healthy, on a line with older brother Jason.

Lance Yaremchuk might be the fastest Minto on the team and has provided a lot of energy and grit. If he keeps it up, he may do the same things for the Prince Albert Raiders in years to come, who drafted him in the 6th round.

When he’s not hauling hay in the summer time, defenceman Bryton Sayers is a solid two-way threat on the Mintos blueline. He had four points in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over the Saskatoon Blazers and now has 11 points on the year. He could be a key presence on the offensive side of the game in the second half of the season, he’ll also be very tenacious in his own zone, as he’s been all season.

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There’s a lot of work ahead for the Mintos, who currently sit in fifth place with games in hand on literally every team in the SMAAAHL. Their test will start Saturday against a very tough Moose Jaw Generals squad, who leads the league in GAA. Puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

jdandrea@panow.com