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WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Young Guns Leading the Warriors into the Postseason

April 21, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


Just six players on the Moose Jaw Warriors' roster have playoff experience, but the team's young roster is ready to prove itself on the big stage.

"Really excited to do this with this group of guys," Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk said on Wednesday. "We have a good group and we can do a lot of damage."

The Warriors will battle the Saskatoon Blades in the first round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs, starting with Game 1 on Friday night at Mosaic Place.

Neither team comes in with tons of playoff experience thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the past two post-seasons.

In total, the Warriors have 44 games of playoff experience, 14 of those by Cordel Larson, while Ryder Korczak accounts for 11.

Saskatoon has 50 games, most of that from Nolan Maier, Aiden De La Gorgendiere - who is out for the season - Tristen Robins and Kyle Crnkovic, who each played 10 games in the 2018-19 playoffs.

Warriors forward Brayden Yager said the team feels their lack of experience makes them hungry going into the playoffs.

"We're a really tight group and we want what's best for each other, and that's a deep playoff run," he said. "We're going to have each others back and play our game."

Mateychuk said the Warriors will have to ride the ups and downs of playoffs.

"We're just going to react and adapt to what we have to do," he said. "It can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster, can go ups and downs during the game, so we've just got to try and stay focused and not get distracted."

Moose Jaw finished the season 2-5-1-0 against Saskatoon in their season series, but the teams were even in goals scored at 28 per side.

Yager said the Warriors know if they play their game for 60 minutes, they can compete with the Blades.

"Just play with speed, we're a really fast team and we like to get gritty, so if we can do those things, it will just come to us," he said.

Mateychuk said Moose Jaw needs to come out strong.

"It all depends on how we start and how we finish and then once we do that, we're going to do lots of things well," he said. "Just got to play our game and not let them distract us."

The Warriors and Blades meet for Game 1 in downtown Moose Jaw on Friday night. Game 2 goes on Saturday.

The series will then shift to Saskatoon for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tickets are available at mjwarriors.ca and the Mosaic Place Box Office.

Check out the Moose Jaw Warriors Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from April 21, 2022


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