After an off-season filled with high-profile recruits, the Estevan Bruins will finally put their talented line up on the ice for a regular season game Friday night at Affinity Place. 

The Bruins host the Yorkton Terriers to kick off the 2021-2022 SJHL regular season. 

“I think the players are pretty excited to get out there,” said head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic. “Once the season starts for real, that’s when points are on the line and that’s where we want to see how bad they want to win hockey games.” 

On paper the team is loaded, especially up front, with several key additions over the summer. Newcomer Mark Rumsey led the league in scoring during the pre-season, tallying 12 points in just four games.  

Mikol Sartor and Olivier Pouliot have developed chemistry during training camp and figure to be two of the team’s main scoring threats.  

Sartor previously led the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in scoring, putting up 93 points in just 60 games during the 2019-2020 season as a member of the Winnipeg Blues. 

The Bruins also have several returning forwards, including Cody Davis, Caelan Fitzpatrick, and Griffin Asham-Moroz. 

“For a lot of us, especially the returning guys, it’s been a full year since we’ve played a regular season game, so a lot of us are so excited to get back, and just itching to start,” said Asham-Moroz. 

On defense, Dayton Deics has shown great offensive instincts through out the pre-season, so expect the North Dakota product to be a mainstay on the powerplay. Six foot five Lucas Eagle is by far the biggest skater on the team and will give the defence core some much-needed size. 

In net, former Moose Jaw Warrior Boston Bilous was brought in to be the Bruins’ starting netminder. However, Bilous has not played in the pre-season and will be a game-time decision for the opener against the Terriers. If he can’t go, Cam Hrdlicka, who earned the back up job, will start.  

“We like our group right now, we’re really happy for our returning guys,” Tatarnic said. “With the new guys, I think it’s a nice mix and hopefully they just mesh well, and that’s an important thing for a team to be successful… is to jell.” 

Regina native and former Swift Current Bronco forward Eric Houk was named the team’s captain earlier in the week. Deics and fellow defenceman Nolan Jones, along with Rumsey, will all serve as assistant captains.  

With Estevan hosting the Centennial Cup next May, Houk knows his group will have to deal with pressure all season long. 

"For sure, yeah, I think that's a given," said Houk. "But we've just got to handle that pressure and try to reach our first goal which is looking at the league championship and keeping that in the front of our vision. And then the Centennial is something that hopefully not only can we host but earn our way there."

Tatarnic - who arrived in Estevan prior to the 2020-2021 season that was essentially cancelled due to the pandemic - knows a thing or two about building winning teams. He was the general manager of the 2017-2018 Chilliwack Chiefs that won a national championship. 

And this year’s Bruins squad? He knows they have the potential to do something special. 

“Is it the best hockey team in Bruins history? I don’t know,” Tatarnic mused. “That’s for our players to decide. Will they strive for that? Yeah…I think any player that comes into our organization, you want to strive to be the best team they ever have. “ 

“There were a couple teams that were excellent hockey teams and it’s going to be hard to match what they accomplished. But we’re going to try.” 

“We’re going to give our best effort to try.”