The roster is coming together for the Swift Current Home Hardware Legionnaires.
Head Coach Todd Hornung noted the U18 AAA hockey club has almost all of their roster plotted out for next season after their spring camp and signings throughout the early portion of the off-season.
"We feel like we've got a handle on who's coming back and who's going to advance," Hornung said. "The junior landscape is changing daily here. We're hoping not to be surprised, but it's always a reality in our league.
"We feel like we've filled some of those holes pretty well here throughout the spring. We've signed some guys through our in our camp here and our team has rounded out really well. We feel like we're going to be very competitive again."
There will be a number of new faces, including five players who spent last season with different Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League teams.
"I think it helps getting guys that played in the league," Hornung said. "They understand what the league is about. There's been some coaching changes, and I think that's why some kids came available that we didn't think were going to be available. They reached out to us right away and said they wanna come to Swift. They had good camp with us, and there's some pretty high-level kids that are coming here.
"We're looking for big years from them. We're looking for some experience for them. We've lost some experience with some guys graduating, but by having these guys come in now, I think we replaced that."
Hudson Postnikoff, Ryder Wilm, and Matt Henkelman join the Legionnaires from the Saskatoon Contacts. Kyler Bilokreli comes to Swift Current after a season with Yorkton, and Rory Dewar is an addition from Notre Dame.
Postnikoff had 5 goals and 5 assists in 32 games with the Contacts last season. He scored 32 goals during his 2023-24 U15 AA season.
Wilm is the son of former NHLer Clarke Wilm. Ryder had 2 goals and 7 assists for the Contacts last season. The 6'0, 190lbs forward will be playing his third year of U18 eligibility.
Henkelman had 6 points in 44 games as a defenceman for Saskatoon. In 2023-24, he put up 25 points in 29 games of U15 AA.
Bilokreli helped Yorkton with 6 goals and 12 assists in 43 games as a U18 AAA rookie. The Theodore, SK native was teammates with Legionnaires forward Trae Petereson for the Sask East Oilers U15 AA team in 2023-24. Bilokreli was second in team scoring behind Peterson that season with 55 points.
Dewar is a 2nd round SJHL draft pick of La Ronge. He put up 7 goals and 10 assists in 31 games for Notre Dame in U18 AAA last season, and he had an assist in a game with the Ice Wolves.
"Having these guys, definitely they come in, they know what to expect," Hornung said. "They've had that initial 15-year-old year off their belt. They're gonna take that next step for us. I think it's going to be big for our group, and then it'll help the younger guys."
The Legionnaires added some local products to their team as well. They include Calgary Hitmen WHL Prospects Draft pick goaltender Josh Benjamin and Maple Creek forward Finn Gustafson from the U15 AA Broncos.
Gustafson had 33 points in 27 games this season, while Benjamin went 8-8 with a 3.36 goals against average and 0.909 save percentage.
Benjamin is the third consecutive goaltender the Legionnaires have brought in from Gull Lake.
"It's actually been pretty bizarre to see just one little area of the province producing goalies," Hornung said. "But it's kind of been that way for my whole-time coaching."
Forward Jaxson Squires and defenceman Ryder Leshures make the jump to the Legionnaires from the U18 AA Broncos. They each spent some significant time in U18 AAA as affiliate players.
Defenceman Carter Schmidt joins Swift Current after playing his first U18 season with the AA Regina Rangers. He had 16 points in 32 games.
The Legionnaires also brought in a couple of skilled rookies from other parts of the province. They signed Liam Van Caeseele from Churchbridge and Kohen Ruedig out of Humboldt.
Ruedig had 19 goals and 21 assists in 29 games this season in U15 AA. His brother Kayd played for Swift Current in 2023-24 before making the jump to Portland in the WHL.
"He's a high skilled kid we're excited to have," Hornung said. "It's coming from relationships we built in the past with his brother playing here, and I think that's where it all starts. You kind of build foundations with certain kids or families or areas through the province. Then it's more that other people do the recruiting for you."
Van Caeseele had 19 goals and 16 assists in 26 U15 AA games this season.
Those recruits mix with a crew of returning veterans that will vary depending on how many of them make the jump to a higher level.
Hornung knows they will lose some significant players, but he's confident they've done a good job replacing them and remaining competitive.
"I think we're gonna be a fast, hard-working group," Hornung said. "We lose some guys that are pretty high skill level for us, and I think I think we have guys that can replace that right away. But we're going to be a team that really relies on our work ethic and our structure.
"We'll just see how things turn out in the fall."