The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins have announced where their graduating players from the 2018-19 season will be continuing their hockey careers and furthering their education.
Seven players graduated from the Bruins this season: defencemen Johnny Witzke, Aigne McGeady-Bruce and Jake Heerspink; and forwards Will Koop, Turner Ripplinger, Michael McChesney and Bryce Platt.
They wrapped up their junior hockey careers in April.
Witzke, who won numerous awards during his tenure with the club for his contributions on and off the ice, including the top defenceman award in 2017-18, will be attending the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., to play with the Marauders of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, a Division 2 school. Witzke will be taking classes in exercise science with hopes to take personal trainer classes afterwards.
McGeady-Bruce, who was named the team’s playoff MVP in 2019, will attend the University of Toronto, and play intramural sports while going to classes. He will be taking general engineering, looking to specialize in mechanical engineering for four years.
Heerspink, who was the team’s captain and top defenceman in 2018-19, and a finalist for the league’s top defenceman award, will be attending the University of Waterloo in Ontario to play with the Waterloo Warriors. He will be taking classes in business, and expects to spend four years in post-secondary education.
Koop, who was a mid-season acquisition from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Steinbach Pistons, was the Bruins most scholastic player in 2018-19. He will be attending the University of Manitoba at the Asper School of Business in his hometown of Winnipeg, where he plans on getting a double-major in finance and marketing.
Ripplinger spent one season with the Bruins, but it was a memorable one, as he was named the club’s MVP, and was also the Viterra Division nominee for the award. He was also the Bruins top scorer.
He will be attending the University of Regina to play with the Cougars. He is taking classes in sport management, and the program is expected to take five years.
McChesney scored 100 goals for the Bruins in his three years with the team, and rates among the top scorers for the Black and Gold in the 21st century. He is committed to play for St. Norbert College, an NCAA Division 3 program in De Pere, Wisc., located just outside of Green Bay.
He is one of several former Bruins to play for the Petes; Estevan’s Tanner Froese was the most recent, and he won a national championship with the Petes in 2018.
Finally, Platt played his final junior season with the Bruins, and was a key person for them on and off the ice. He will be joining Ripplinger at the University of Regina to play university hockey with the Cougars. He will be taking classes in business for the next four to five years.
