Of the five players in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League that are committed to play for NCAA Division I college hockey programs in the United States, Notre Dame Hounds forward Adam Dawe stands out for a number of reasons.
For starters, the 17-year-old forward is one of two players from outside of Saskatchewan to commit to a college hockey program, with the other being Flin Flon Bombers defenceman and future Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves player Eric Sinclair of Kenora, Ont.
Also, while Sinclair, Dakota Boutin of the Melfort Mustangs and Reed Delainey of the Battlefords North Stars are nearing the end of their junior hockey careers, Dawe could still play in the SJHL for three more years.
So how exactly does a native of Gander, N.L. end up playing in Wilcox, Sask. and eventually commit to the University of Maine Black Bears?
“There’s been a couple of guys from Newfoundland that have come over to play at Notre Dame and I had heard lots of good stuff about the program,” Dawe said. “It’s pretty much as simple as that really.”
Dawe, who stands 5’8” and weighs 160 pounds, has made the most of his time with the Hounds program.
After a 32-point campaign for the Midget AAA Hounds in 2014-15, Dawe had 54 points last season for the team.
He also led the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League in goals with 30 and helped the Hounds capture the league championship.
“I was only 15 when I came out here, so there was a bit of transition at first, as I was getting used to balancing being on the ice with my studies,” Dawe said.
“On the ice, the guys out here are both big and fast, which is different from back home where most of the players are just big. To be honest though, there wasn’t much of a transition process for me.”
Although Dawe had the option of playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Moncton Wildcats and in the United States Hockey League for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, he decided to take the college hockey route and committed to the Black Bears in 2015.
“They are the closest Division I team to home, so my family and I felt like it would be a great spot for me to be at,” Dawe said.
“The program has been successful in the past with a couple of national championships (in the 1990s) and I really feel like I’ll be able to fit in well there.”
Dawe, who admitted that he wasn’t quite ready to head down and play in the United States this year, stayed in Wilcox this year to play in the SJHL for the Hounds.
That decision has paid off so far, as he’s second in team scoring with 38 points, tied for fifth overall in the league and has the most points of any rookie.
“I really like the offence that (SJHL scoring leader) Ben Duperreault and I have been producing together,” Dawe said. “We were able to build our chemistry pretty quickly once the year started, and having him here along with some of the older guys has been a huge help for me and the other rookies.”
“I think the comfortablity factor has really helped Adam,” Hounds head coach and general manager Clint Mylymok said. “He’s playing with or against guys that he’s faced in Midget AAA over the last two years, he knows all of the rinks in the league, and he knows where everything is in Wilcox. It would be a lot different down in the States, where you could be driving all across town to go to school, then to the gym, and then finally end up at the rink.”
Dawe’s also been a part of what has been a stellar group of 1999 birth year players that have made an immediate impact in the SJHL.
Joining him in this year’s rookie class are Battlefords North Stars goaltender Joel Grzybowski and Humboldt Broncos forward Erik Gardiner, while twin brothers Carson and McKenzie Welke are both in their second seasons with the Yorkton Terriers.
“I think that falls squarely on the coach’s shoulders,” Mylymok said. “They are recognizing that the league needs to get younger, and if you want to see this league get more scholarships that is what needs to happen.
“These 1999 born players aren’t just sitting in the stands either and they aren’t playing on the fourth line for two months. The coaches in this league are giving them good ice time and letting them develop. As a result of that, the NCAA schools that want to watch these young kids play are able to see them on a regular basis.”
