WHEN Travis Oleksuk and Joe Basaraba take to the ice next season in their first game as part of the defending NCAA hockey championship squad, it will be against a familiar opponent.
Oleksuk, Basaraba and the rest of the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs will open up their 2011-12 campaign at home Sunday, Oct. 2 when they will host the Lakehead University Thunderwolves at AMSOIL Arena.
That game will mark the first contest of Oleksuk’s senior year at UMD for the Thunder Bay native while Basaraba from Fort Frances will begin his sophomore season with the Bulldogs.
Oleksuk, who scored once and set-up the game-winner in overtime to give UMD their first NCAA title in a dramatic victory over Michigan, will be one of seven seniors on the squad.
AJHL ACCOLADES: A pair of area products were both recognized recently by their respective Alberta Junior Hockey League clubs for their on-ice efforts.
Former Thunder Bay Kings netminder Colin Dzijacky was named rookie of the year for the Grand Prairie Storm while Ben Gamache picked up both the leadership and team awards from the Okotoks Oilers.
Dzijacky posted a solid 15-6-1 win-loss-tie record in his first year of Jr. A hockey along with a respectable 2.67 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
As for Gamache, the Longlac native finished third in team scoring as well as 20th overall in the AJHL as the Oilers’ co-captain netted 26 goals and added 30 assists for 56 points in as many games.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Controbution off the ice recently earned Mitch Cain recognition from his United States Hockey League club.
The Fort Frances product received two tributes from the Des Moines Buccaneers as their annual year-end awards were doled out last month.
Cain, a former Superior International Jr. Hockey League rookie of the year recipient, was presented Des Moines’ Allen Memorial Award, which goes annually to the Buccaneers player for their unselfish commitment in being involved in community service events held each year by the organization.
Cain, who is committed to attend Bemidji State University, was also recognized by being presented the Des Moines Booster Club scholarship award, which will help fund his college education.
RBC HONOUR: Kyle Turgeon of Fort Frances was honoured last week by being named one of five Royal Bank Cup legacy scholarship recipients.
The 20-year-old forward with the Manitoba Jr. Hockey League champion Portage Terriers was presented the $500 scholarship at the Royal Bank Cup awards banquet this past Friday in Camrose, Alta.
This honour is doled out every year at the RBC to a player on each of the five competing teams who is in his final year of Jr. hockey to assist in the costs of his post-secondary education.