The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins won their 34th and final SJHL regular season game and will now look to add to that total in the playoffs.
The Bruins won 5-3 at a packed Affinity Place over the Melville Millionaires in a spirited battle.
Kaelan Holt led off the scoring shorthanded in the first minute, with Johnny Witzke adding a power play goal later in the first in a game that wasn’t quite as meaningless in the standings as an exhibition game.
“Melville’s a division rivalry and we have a couple of players on the team that used to play last year,” said Witzke, referring to Isaac Embree and Logan Foster. “We still want to take every game seriously going into the playoffs and we’re hoping to get on a streak.”
The win meant the Bruins moved past Humboldt for fourth place overall in the SJHL, which may mean something down the road when it comes to seeding after the playoff battle with the Kindersley Klippers.
“I think getting that fourth spot and a chance of an upset, we can get a matchup we want,” Witzke said.
The team had a couple of physical skirmishes during the game, leading to one fight between TJ Irey and Aidan Steinke, who had nailed Michael McChesney with a hit near the benches earlier in the game, and one near-fight between ex-teammates Embree and Jayden Davis.
“One of the biggest takeaways for me was the display of character tonight,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. “It was old time hockey, which isn’t the most exciting thing for a guy who’s looking at his team going into playoffs, but today we came out of it unscatched. But I really like the way the boys came together and went to war for each other tonight.”
Attendance at Affinity Place was a season-high 1,565 people, which played no small factor in how the team played on the ice.
“It kind of felt like a Weyburn game but it looked like a little bit more,” said Holt. “(The fans) have been awesome throughout my three years here and guys really appreciate it when people come out and watch… It was an awesome night. When you’ve got fans right down by the glass and stuff, it feels like there’s a lot more energy in the building.”
Michael McChesney (with his 30th), Arthur Miller and Jayden Davis rounded out the scoring for the Bruins, who got 35 saves and an assist on the score sheet from goaltender Bo Didur.
The Bruins ended the year with 34 wins and a Viterra Division crown, their second consecutive title.
Holt scored 31 goals and 38 assists in the regular season over 57 games.
“I think as an individual, I played well,” said Holt, who scored his 152nd regular season point in his final SJHL regular season game. “I tried to play consistently and pay homage to my linemates. They made a lot of stuff happen for me and made a lot of space out there. Individually, I think I had a pretty good year. As a team I think we had some ups and downs and we kind of locked ‘er down here down the stretch. We’ve just got to figure out third periods and I think we’ll be alright.”
One of the Bruins’ top pairing blueliners, Witzke’s game improved greatly overall from last season. In 50 games, Witzke scored seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points over 50 games on the year, an improvement of 12 assists on the previous year.
“I improved my defence and tried to get stronger as the year went on, which I have,” said Witzke. “Individually I believe I’ve had a pretty good year. Team-wise, this team is so close and we’re good friends in the locker room and even outside the rink we hang out with each other. This is a team I believe can win the championship. It would be amazing to go far in the playoffs with these guys.”
