Mintos win Jake Davidson sweepstakes
A year after winning the 2014 Telus Cup, the Prince Albert Mintos were swept in the first round of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs for the first time since 2008-2009. That came after they ranked sixth in the regular season, their lowest seed since the 2007-2008 season.
A big reason for this year’s slide was the Mintos’ goaltending, as they finished eighth out of the 12 SMAAAHL teams in save percentage with .895 heading into the playoffs.
But the Mintos are poised to change that quickly. They’ve already locked up goaltending prospect Jake Davidson from the Sask Valley Vipers Bantam AA club and committed him for next season, along with two other reserve players in defenceman Layne Matechuk (Humboldt Bantam Broncos) and Reagan Poncelet (Humboldt Midget AA Broncos).
The Mintos have had their eyes on Davidson for a while and are already excited for his future. Shortly after the team’s spring camp on the weekend, Mintos manager Don Fauchoux said Davidson could jump in and battle for the starting goaltending spot with Derrick Hucul, who came on strong late in the season.