Wyatt Haux's lacrosse journey: From World Juniors to Saskatchewan Rush

Estevan lacrosse player Wyatt Haux recently signed a one-year deal with the Saskatchewan Rush and is now aiming to secure a spot on the active roster for the upcoming season.

Haux just completed a playoff run with the Calgary Senior B Mounties of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and explained in an interview how his lacrosse career started in Estevan.

"I started a little bit later, I think I was 13 or 14 and started with the Thunder. I played most of my Bantam and Midget years in Estevan, and then eventually moved up to Junior in Saskatoon. That led me to opportunities to try out and go to the combine for Team Canada and get a spot in my first year there. That led to my second year getting to be the captain, winning gold both times."

Wyatt Haux (23) pictured after going undefeated at Jr Lacrosse World Championships in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Wyatt Haux.)

This led to Haux being drafted in the National Lacrosse League, "Fast forward a little bit more and I was drafted by the Rush, didn't quite make the team, and then I moved up the next year, got another tryout, got put on the practice roster and they signed me again. So hopefully that means I can make it to the active roster and get a few games in this year."

The transition from competing in the World Juniors to vying for a spot on the Rush showcases a notable difference in talent and skill levels.

"It's a different game," Haux explained, "It's an older league, so everyone knows the tricks of the league in that it's a lot more technical. These guys have bigger bodies, better with their sticks, and then the knowledge and the experience of those other guys goes a long way. So yeah, cracking the roster at that level is a lot different than the Juniors."

The valuable insights and challenges faced during his time in the World Juniors and with the Rush have notably bolstered his performance in the past year with the Mounties. As Haux himself puts it, "It's good. I get to bring some of that experience back to my team. To go from just trying to be a part of it and everything like that, to going back to my club in Calgary and being a leader, being at the front of the bench and getting a lot more playing time. It's nice, I get to take what I've learned from pro and bring it back to my Senior level."

Highlighting a fundamental aspect of the sport, Haux underscored the significance of stick mastery for up-and-coming players.

"I think the main thing with lacrosse is learning how to use the stick. It can be a little tough. I find a lot of kids get discouraged when they can't use their lacrosse stick as well as others and then that's their reason to quit the sport." He explained, "So I think if you want to become a good lacrosse player, just keep that stick your hand at all times. It's as easy as just finding a wall outside or just cradling it in your living room. Whatever you're doing, just kind of have that stick in your hand. It goes a long way, even if you're not shooting or anything like that, just having a feel for the ball, picking it up, putting it down at a wall, having it come back to you. Yeah, have that stick in your hand as much as you can and that actually goes a longer way than you'd expect."

The Saskatchewan Rush training camp will begin in late October, with the start of the National Lacrosse League season happening at the beginning of December.

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