(Photo courtesy/Broad Leaf Media, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

The gift that kept on giving

Back to where he belongs; Tye Evans Player Profile

May 17, 2024 | 7:00 AM

The Melfort Mustangs are 2024 SJHL Champions, which means their nine 20-year-old players have gone out in style.

While they have all turned their attention to the Centennial Cup, their final career SJHL game is one to remember.

For Tye Evans, he knew he always had a spot back in Melfort, if he wanted it, but it’s not where he started the season.

He began the year with the University of Dubuque, an NCAA Division III school, before coming back to the Mustangs for the first game of 2024, returning for the third time to the ‘place where he belonged’.

“It feels great to end as an SJHL Champion. It just doesn’t feel real and I know I just couldn’t be happier, so I love it,” he told northeastNOW.

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“Now getting to play for a national championship, we’re going out there and having fun, but we’re still playing our hardest and we’re showing everyone how good we are.”

Evans arrived in northeast Saskatchewan at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, however, his first stint didn’t last that long.

He was traded to the La Ronge Ice Wolves after just 13 games, before getting shipped right back to the Mustangs after just five games the following year.

The gift that kept on giving then came right back midway through this season’s journey.

In total, he’s spent 94 games in a Blue and Green uniform, putting up 33 points and 126 penalty minutes in that time.

“I didn’t think I was gonna be back here, but obviously it’s meant to be if I’ve been back here three times, and I couldn’t be happier to be on this team,” Evans added.

“It’s been a hell of a ride and I’m just so thankful to all the boys and everyone else on this team.”

Whether it was chasing down pucks at an incredible speed to try and negate an icing, taking some of the most important faceoffs of the game, spending countless hours on both the penalty kill and powerplay or pulling out one the best moves you’ve ever seen to score a highlight reel goal, Evans did it all in style and was just too good to not keep bringing back.

He is very grateful to be a part of this year’s Mustangs group, alongside his fellow 20-year-old teammates in Aidyn Hutchinson, Clay Sleeva, Leith Olafson, Chase Friedt-Mohr, Hayden Prosofsky, Logan Cox, Ryan Duguay, and Nolan Henderson.

“I think all the boys on our team just had heart, everyone is close, we’re all connected, and we’re all brothers now,” concluded Evans.

“I had a great time in the SJHL and it’s a bit sad knowing some of us will never be back, playing in the Palace, but that championship game is a good last one to have, and we’ll all still have all the good memories from there.”

The 2003-born forward will be eligible to return to the University of Dubuque, following the end of this hockey season.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8