THUNDER BAY — Two years ago, the Kam River Fighting Walleye made their Centennial Cup debut.
It was a great learning experience, said Fighting Walleye forward Daxton Lang, one of two players who played for the team in 2023 and will be on the ice in Calgary in 2025, looking to deliver the first win for the SIJHL since the national junior A championship switched formats and became a 10-team event in 2022.
Having a national championship experience isn’t enough this time around, said Lang, fresh off a practice on Monday at Fort William First Nation Arena, his team gearing up to try to do some damage when their tournament kicks off on Friday against the Trenton Golden Hawks.
“It’s pretty special. Not a lot of people get to experience once in their career and I’m very, very fortunate that I’ve been part of some pretty (darn) good teams and I’ve had the opportunity to go twice,” Lang said.
Being back at the Centennial Cup for a second time in three seasons does come with benefits for his Walleye teammates.
Lang and defenceman Brodie McLeod, the other returnee from the 2023 team, know what to expect and have been prepping their teammates about what to expect and how to handle themselves against the best junior A players in the country.
“Coming back in as a leader, already being there once, I can let them know what it’s like so we can hit the ground running. Our team has come such a long way this year and I think if we just keeping doing what we’re doing, it’s going to work out,” said Lang, who led the SIJHL in scoring, putting up 35 goals and 86 points, tops in both categories.
That wasn’t the case in 2023, when the fledgling Fighting Walleye dropped all four games at the Centennial Cup, outscored 32-9.
Last year, however, the gap narrowed, the Sioux Lookout Bombers were beaten three times by two goals, their other loss a 5-2 at the hands of the Oakville Blades.
“The SI has been around for a while now and I’m really glad we get the opportunity to show what this league is about. It’s gotten better and better every year that I’ve been in it,” Lang said.
It’s a chance at a little redemption, said McLeod, who put up 21 points in 35 regular-season appearances, adding two goals and six points in their run to the Bill Salonen Cup, culminating last Tuesday with a 4-3, Game 6 overtime win over the Dryden Ice Dogs.
Two years later, he’s ready for the Fighting Walleye to make a statement.
“Obviously it’s the best of the best (at the Centennial Cup),” he said. “They’re faster, they make plays there and it’s smaller and tighter. It’ll just come down to the will of us and how hard we want it.
“Over the past couple of years, with the players we’ve brought in and the coaching and the development in this league, it’s gotten a lot better.”
Kam River coach Larry Wintoneak, making his third appearance at the Centennial Cup, said having some experience in the fold is important, but the team needs more than two players to step up and make an impact if they want to win at least a couple of games and make their way into the playoffs.
“You’re not going to score your way to a Centennial Cup. You have to defend and play our own way,” Wintoneak said. “Good players are always going to get their chances. It’s how we give them, feed them opportunities. It’s puck protection, detail-oriented, how and why are you going to things. That’s going to be a recipe for success.”
Kam River opens the tournament on Friday against the Trenton Golden Hawks.
