It seemed that goaltending would be a strength for the Estevan Bruins this year.
When it became clear that it wasn't, particularly with the implications for next year's Western Canada Cup hosts, a move had to be made.
The Bruins were confident coming into the year with Brett Lewchuk as their starter, and why wouldn't they be? He had been considered their goalie of the future for a number of years and was coming off an excellent rookie season as the backup.
In training camp, Lewchuk looked confident and poised, although there is a massive gulf between that and regular season play.
Lewchuk had some rough games early, but most people felt he would bounce back. With the exception of a couple of games, however, it just didn't happen.
There was a clear dropoff in the Saskatoon native's play early this season, as Lewchuk became another recent example of a young Bruin excelling as an 18-year-old and regressing in his sophomore year.
It's hard to explain the sudden struggles. Bruins head coach Chris Lewgood believes it is a confidence issue and that a fresh start will help. He does get to go from the 2016 Western Canada Cup host to the 2015 host.
Once this regression was identified, the Bruins needed to reinforce the position and make sure it was solid heading into next season. That meant acquiring a reliable 19-year-old tender.
Not long ago, Lewgood said he really liked the work of rookie backup Tyler Gutenberg and that there was no question he would be sticking around, so that left little doubt as to what would transpire.
The Bruins looked at several options for the starting job, encompassing players in and out of province, as well as 18- and 19-year-olds.
Ultimately, they chose Tyler Fuhr, the only one with a track record in the SJHL.
Fuhr was the starter for the league's worst team last year, and while his goals-against average reflected that, he had a decent save percentage despite facing a lot of rubber.
This year, he was backing up with the Regina Pats, although he saw very limited action. Having expressed a desire to stay close to Regina rather than go back to La Ronge, the Pats waited to see where he would wind up before re-assigning him to the SJHL.
What you immediately notice about Fuhr is his size. Standing 6-foot-2, he's one of the bigger goalies in the league and although he doesn't rely entirely on his big frame, it does help when cutting down angles.
He is a well-spoken, eloquent person who has clearly learned some lessons from his time in the WHL and SJHL. He talks about being a leader in the dressing room and trying to use his experience to help a young club.
Lewgood believes the Bruins now have one of the best tandems in the SJHL, and it's hard to argue. Fuhr is a proven starter and Gutenberg has performed admirably while carrying a larger workload than most backups.
If the Bruins can work on their goals-against total — and to be perfectly clear, that has to do with a lot more than just goaltending — it will certainly help them in the standings.
The club played two very impressive home games last week before laying a bit of an egg in Wilcox on Saturday.
In those two games, they totalled 10 goals, with the line of Keegan Allison, Lynnden Pastachak and Jason Duret leading the way. Those guys are the on-ice leaders now after the departure of Darcy DeRoose, and they're playing like it.
There is a lot of season left to be played, and things are finally starting to look up for the Black and Gold.
Contact Josh Lewis at 306-634-2654. He is mourning the loss of Pat Quinn, one of the best executives of his time and the architect of fine memories and one-liners in both Vancouver and Toronto.
