The Southwest Jets, a AA hockey club comprised of 13–14-year-old players from the southwest part of Manitoba’s Eastman region, have had a good season so far.
“So far the team has exceeded the expectations I had for them at the start of the year,” says head coach David Maynard. “We are currently middle of the pack in the league, which is where I thought we would be considering the number of minor Bantam [players] we have on the roster. Our goal is being competitive in every game we play. Of course, the main goal is to build towards next year when most of the boys will be 14. The maturity gap of that one year in both physical size and ability can be overwhelming at times.”
The Jets’ record puts them just under .500, but Maynard points out that most of the team’s games have been played against the league’s strongest teams. Of ten teams, the Jets are currently in fifth place in the standings.
The team is sending four kids—Rachonne Henry, Matt Egan, Zach Maynard, and Jayden Catellier—as well as a coach to the upcoming all-star game, to be played on January 22 in Lac du Bonnet.
Also in January, the team will head off to Grand Forks for a tournament. Provincial playdowns will get underway shortly.
