‘What’s new in the zoo?’ Blizzard coach/GM Keane to keep players pumped about MJHL play on the road By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 Last Modified: 8:58 AM CDT Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 Updates

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This article was published 28/10/2020 (1523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a pandemic year, crazy and unpredictable doesn’t fully describe what the start of the MJHL season has been like.

Billy Keane, general manager and head coach of the OCN Blizzard, is fortunate to have his sense of humour intact.

When Keane opens his daily 1 p.m. meeting with his players, he begins with a rhetoricial question: “What’s new in the zoo?”

It’s Keane’s direct reference to the evolving COVID-19 landscape in the province and the Tri-Area encompassed by the communities of The Pas, OCN and RM of Kelsey.

“It’s just so I’m keeping all the kids up to date with postponements, new schedules and new events and new practice times and new game times,” Keane told the Free Press Thursday morning.

In recent days, the task has been more complicated.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation is currently operating under curfew restrictions due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the area and the band council shut down the club’s home rink — Gordon Laithlin Memorial Centre — minutes before last Friday’s scheduled game against the Dauphin Kings.

The Blizzard are allowed to use their locker room and work out of the team offices but on-ice activities are banned. For practice, they dress at home and hop into their cars for a five-minute drive to Roy H. Johnston Arena in The Pas.

And what about games?

“We postponed the Friday game because the Tri-community areas are not allowing hockey be played here with large groups,” said Keane, adding the decision to halt games will be revisited by band council Nov. 9. “But Dauphin is in a better spot, so we’re gonna go down and we’ll play Dauphin on Saturday as their home game — that’s their regular scheduled game. And we’re going to rent the building Sunday and play our home game there.”

Plans are also in place for next weekend, when the Blizzard will play both games in Virden, with the Oil Caps leasing out Tundra Oil and Gas Place for the second game.

The Blizzard will take home the gate receipts and proceeds of the 50/50 draw, making the extended road trip financially feasible.

It will mark a strange return to play for four newcomers. Forwards Eric Alarie of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Evan Herman and Justin Nachbaur of the Prince Albert Raiders have taken advantage of the WHL’s temporary transfer rule to join the Blizzard for the next six weeks. Meanwhile, defenceman Bryden Sinclair, who played for OCN in 2018-19, makes his return to the MJHL after leaving the North American Hockey League’s Maryland Black Bears.

“It’s gonna be kind of tough — everyone likes to play home games but it’s the way of the road right now,” said Nachbaur, a bruising overage forward who is expected to play his first game of the season Saturday. “You have to take the necessary precautions if you want to play.”

Nachbaur welcomes the chance to see game action again. The WHL is planning to start its season on Jan. 8 and the MJHL is currently the only junior A league in Western Canada playing regular-season games.

“That’s why I’m going back to the MJ, I just wanna play,” said Nachbaur. “It’s my last year of junior and all you want to do when you’re 20 is just play hockey. For me, not having the opportunity to go back to P.A. is kinda tough. I’m glad the WHL is letting us go and play.”

Nachbaur hopes he can add a spark for the Blizzard, who are winless (0-4-1-0) in 2020-21.

“Well, I’m going to try and dominate right away,” said Nachbaur. “I can’t make any promises about that — I’ve been out of game shape for a good nine months, I guess. I’m going to go in there and start where I left off, rough and tough, that’s kinda the player I am. I’m going to try to get that game going as quick as I can.”

That attitude will be music to Keane’s ears. He intends to employ a road warriors theme at the rink since the Blizzard could be playing away from home for an extended time, perhaps for all of November if not longer.

“We’re trying to make the best of it. Believe me, I’m trying to make the kids laugh as much as possible,” said Keane. “Humour is a good thing in these times.”

HOME AGAIN: Cole Muir has three WHL seasons under his belt and hasn’t played close to home since 2016-17.

That all changes this weekend when the Winnipeg Ice centre joins with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines for a weekend doubleheader against the Swan Valley Stampeders.

Two old buddies, Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Chad Nychuk of Rossburn and forward Mack Belinski of Vista, have become teammates again.

“I’ve known Mack since I was six years old,” said Muir. “He lives two minutes from my house. I played with Belinski in midget and bantam and some minor hockey and I played with Nychuk every single year since we were five, so hopefully there’s some chemistry still there.”

Playing games again will be a relief for Muir.

“It’ll be a few games and a few practices to get back into playing games because I haven’t played a game in almost eight months,” he said. “It might be a little bit slower but it’s gonna be good.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14

Mike Sawatzky
Reporter

Mike has been working on the Free Press sports desk since 2003.

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