• • • • •
SCOTT TAYLOR ’ S NOTEBOOK
ferent counties . There were players from Sweden , Finland , Belarus , Russia and North America . It was incredible being able to play hockey in the winter and be able to leave the rink in shorts and flip flops .” Fontaine was thrilled for his former player . “ I was able to watch his growth throughout the year and knew my intuition was correct about him ,” he said . “ I watched a couple of games this year and as the season was concluding I was informed by Gabe that Samuel was attracting interest from different teams in the NCAA and within other Junior Leagues . One in particular was the BCHL . Samuel was invited to participate in a showcase tournament in Boston in May with the Canada West Elite Hockey Team , an elite group of junior players from all over Canada . “ In talking to Samuel and his parents , they are excited about this opportunity . His hard work has paid off . Sammy made the commitment and took an opportunity that presented itself to him and applied himself 110 per cent . He ’ s now looking forward to his second
full season in the WSHL .”
• • • • •
THE NOTEBOOK : When you talk about top players giving back to the game , how about Winnipeg ’ s Scott Glennie and Brandon ’ s Jordy Stallard ? The Moose star and the Jets ’ draft pick coached a team of 12-year-olds ( 2005s ) and a team of eight-year-olds ( 2009s ) at the Brandon Source for Sports Tournament in April . Good for them . Class acts all around … Bemidji State ’ s Brendan Harms ( Steinbach ), who finished the 2016-17 season in the ECHL , wound up playing on the same team as UND grad Brendan O ’ Donnell ( Winnipeg ),
the Florida Everblades . Both are former MJHL players – O ’ Donnell with the Blues in 2009-10 while Harms played with Portage in 2010-11 and 2011-12 . O ’ Donnell had a great season . He finished with 41 goals and 80 points , good for eighth in the ECHL . His goal total was tied for No . 1 in the league . Amazingly , 38 of those 41 goals were scored at even strength … Tara Slone and Portage la Prairie ’ s own Aaron Asham dropped the puck for Sportsnet ’ s Hometown Hockey at a Portage Terriers game in March … MTS Iceplex skills and skating coach Dave Cameron will be working with both Hockey Manitoba U-18 female and Hockey Canada U-17 male teams this summer as a skills coach . Hockey Canada takes six skills coaches from across Canada for their U-17 Summer Camp . “ Should make for a great summer combined with all the other action here in the building ,” said Cameron … He might not have been able to coax his Steinbach Pistons into the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final , but Bradley Schoonbaert was named the MJHL Player of the Month for March . The 19-yearold Schoonbaert , a product of the Winnipeg minor hockey system , was outstanding in the post-season . He had six goals and 15 points in 14 games . He had four , multiple-point games , in addition being named a first star in three playoff games … Forward Stelio Mattheos from Winnipeg along with defenseman Jett Woo from Winnipeg and defenseman Josh Brook from Roblin were invited to play on Canada ’ s National U-18 team at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship , April 13-23 , in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves , Slovakia . In the tournament opener , Mattheos , the former Winnipeg AAA Bantam Monarch who has scored 40 goals and 82 points in 120 games in his first two years with the WHL ’ s Brandon Wheat Kings , scored one of Canada ’ s goals on a penalty shot in a 4-1 win over Latvia . In Game 2 , a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over the host team from Slovakia , Mattheos had two goals including the winner in overtime as Canada improved to 2-0 in the tournament . Winnipeg ’ s Cody Glass was added to the team later , after his Portland Winterhawks had been eliminated from the WHL playoffs . Eventually , the Canadians were beaten by Sweden in the quarterfinals … Winnipeg ’ s Nolan Patrick of the 2016 WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings was named Manitoba ’ s Junior Athlete of the Year for 2016 by Sport Manitoba . Meanwhile , the Wheat Kings were named Junior Team of the Year . The Wheat Kings Linden McCorrister received his MASRC Aboriginal Athlete of the Year Award while the 2016 Heritage Classic won the Cactus Jack Wells Impact Award ... Word has it there will be a new Winnipeg team in the Manitoba Triple A Midget Hockey League next season . The Bruins will join the Thrashers and Wild and play out of East End Arena in Transcona . The city ’ s catchment areas will change , as well .