Broncos try out new talent as they prepare for trade deadline

Bell played the last season and a half with the AJHL team earning 20 goals and 26 assists in 84 games.

Bell hit the ice running on Dec. 9 in the Broncos road game against Melville where he scored his first SJHL goal.

The Broncos will now focus on building up their current netminders, Benjamin Motew and Hayden Dunford. Over the last four weeks of action, both have shutouts to their name after Dunford saved all 29 shots against Kindersley on Nov. 26 and Motew earned his shutout after putting a stop to all of 24 shots coming from the Weyburn Red Wings on Dec. 17.

Assistant coach Carter Hansen sees plenty of potential in both players, especially Motew who helped the Broncos cap off the year in the win column.

“He’s given us a chance to win the last four games in a row that he’s played and we’ve played well enough to win the last few games at home. To finally get one just before the Christmas break too is a good way to send the guys off with least some positive happy thoughts,” Hansen told northeastNOW.

Coming into the new year, Motew wants to see the Broncos in the win column, he said.

Another couple of familiar names were added to the roster this week with the Broncos calling up their 2022 draft pick, Tyrone Sobry, and Humboldt’s own, Kayd Ruedig, for their first SJHL games. The Saskatoon defenseman donned the green and gold for their first game on Dec. 14 in the Broncos home ice loss against the La Ronge Ice Wolves while Ruedig joined the roster for their shutout win against the Red Wings.

The Broncos have maintained that 10 point spread as well among their offense with their top 10 skaters all now over the 20 point mark with Cage Newans topping the roster this season with 30 points, 11 goals, and 19 assists. This has been something the coaching staff is more than happy to see as the season progresses with all of their lines working to find the back of the net.

With that last win at home, the Broncos jumped ahead of the Melfort Mustangs to sit fifth in the league at 41 points, tied with the Estevan Bruins. They face some stiff competition in their division as the Battleford North Stars continue to be a prominent force in both the division, the league, and currently sit number one in even the Canadian Junior Hockey League. However, La Ronge, Estevan, Melfort, Flin Flon, and Humboldt all remain in close proximity to each other in a five-point difference. They will be back fighting for prime playoff placement in the new year.

Following the home ice loss against La Ronge, Hansen said a team like that need very little opportunity to make something of a mistake and the Broncos are going to have to contend with that with a lot of these teams.

“They don’t need much space out there but if you give it them to like that, they’re gonna find a way to put it in the net.”

Plenty of points will be up for grabs in January as the Broncos start 2023 on the road with back-to-back games at the Whitney Forum facing before Flin Flon hits the ice at the Elgar Petersen Arena on Jan. 12.

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becky.zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @bex_zim

by Becky Zimmer

Broncos try out new talent as they prepare for trade deadline

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