Team Picture NEEPAWA NATIVES JUNIOR HOCKEY Quick Facts The Neepawa Natives Junior Team has been playing in the MJHL since 1989. There are over 100 alumni members who have played both college and professionally beyond the MJHL. Neepaw a has the least travel out of almost every Junior “A” Hockey Team in the Canadian Junior “A” Hockey League. Neepawa Natives Hockey has a proud history and has been around since 1949. The home of the Neepawa Natives, the Yellowhead Centre, seats a crowd of over 1,500 people. Every Neepawa Natives game is televised and available on the internet for fans to watch online. Wayne Jacobsen is known as one of the best commentators in Junior “A” Hockey. Neepawa receives media coverage in the two local newspapers, local TV stations, radio stations, and games are broadcasted nationally through NACTV on channel 592 on Bell TV Satellite. There are numerous former Neepawa Natives currently playing or coaching at an elite level. Neepawa Staff General Manager – Myles Cathcart Director of Player Personnel – Byron Billett Head Coach – Dustin Howden CONTACT INFORMATION Neepawa Natives Phone: 204.476.5308 Fax: 204.476.3930 Proud Member of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League [email protected] www.neepawanatives.com Page 2 NEEPAWANATIVES.COM NEEPAWANATIVES.COM Page 7 Table of Contents Natives Alumni Devrin Stonehouse – CIS Shane Hnidy – NHL Jaret Smith - CIS Triston Grant – NHL Brian White - CIS About the MJHL 3 Mark Kolesar - NHL Ty Magotiaux - CIS Peter LeBoutillier – NHL Brett Arbuckle - CIS Kyle Kettles – NHL Brent Kyle - CIS Jimmy Creighton – NHL Corey Billaney - CIS General Manager’s Message 4 Matt Bailey – NHL, AHL Mike Baranyk - CIS Matt Lowry – AHL Mark Hartman - CIS Jordan Lane – ECHL Shane Baranyk - CIS Brent Davidson – NCAA and European Pro Craig Anderson - CIS 2015 Graduating Players Testimonials 4 Marian Csorich – European Pro & Polish National Team Eric Froystad – CIS Patrick Koppchen – European Pro & German National Team Justin Cote - CIS Riley Weselowski – NCAA, ECHL Ryan Brunel - CIS Blaine Jarvis – NCAA, ECHL Jerron Kyle – CIS Why Neepawa is the Right Choice 5 Caleb Suderman – NCAA , ECHL Wes Pawluk – CIS Pierre-Olivier Lemieux - NCAA Zach Tully - CIS Andrew Loewen - NCAA Del Cowan – CIS, & WHL Myles Kuharski - NCAA Andrew Clark – CIS, & WHL Community Programs 6 Kori Pearson - NCAA Geoff McIntosh – CIS & WHL Derek Miller - NCAA Johnathan Lawrence- WHL Gordon Pritchard - NCAA John Kopp – WHL Andrew Fischer - NCAA Tyson Verhelst – WHL Neepawa Natives History 6 Brayden Kolisniak - NCAA Stephen George - WHL Andrew Loewen - NCAA Troy Hickman – WHL Dustin Cosgrove – NCAA Tim Evason – WHL Dillin Stonehouse – NCAA Braden Adamyk - WHL Alumni Testimonials 6 TJ Ahveniemi – NCAA Brett Cross – CHL, & SPHL Tripp Emmer - NCAA Ryan Turner – ACHA Nate Thompson - NCAA Dusty Campbell – ACHA Dmitry Adams – NCAA Troy Hoban – ACHA Natives Alumni 7 Zach Mausolf – NCAA Robbie Mar – ACHA Tom Frasz - NCAA Sam Briscoe – ACHA Karson Gillispie - NCAA Spencer Hoehn – ACHA Marco Pellizzari – NCAA Nick Sandy – ACHA Neepawa Community Profile 7 Dylan Dock - NCAA Alex Henry – ACHA Shane Harrington – NCAA Patrick Carlin -ACAC Steven Phillips – NCAA Dustin Fisher – UHL Justin Coachman – NCAA Cory Dzikowski European Pro, & ACHL Neepawa Coaching Staff 8 Luke Karakas – NCAA Dale Isfield – Professional Hockey Dylan Dock NCAA Larry Evans - Professional Hockey Jack Emmer – NCAA Plus Many More,,, Team Picture 8 Austin Hingtgen – NCAA Quick Facts 8 Triston Grant Peter Leboutillier Mark Kolesar Shane Hnidy Kyle Kettles Nashville Predators Anaheim Ducks Toronto Maple Leafs Boston Bruins Drafted by Nashville Predators Neepawa Community Profile Neepawa is an agriculture based community in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. In 2015 its population is estimated to be over 5000. Neepawa is the self-proclaimed Lily Former Neepawa Native, Shane Hnidy – NHL's Stanley Cup Winner 2011 capital of the world in part because of its Lily Festival. The town has also been named "Manitoba's Most Beautiful Town", more than any other community in the province. Neepawa is has many services such as shopping, an 18-hole golf course, Assiniboine College campus, swimming, hiking, fishing in the local lakes, and is centrally located near two of Manitoba’s largest cities (45 minutes north of Brandon, and less than 2 hours west of Winnipeg), and one of Canada’s most beautiful national park (30 minutes from Riding Mountain National Park). Page 6 NEEPAWANATIVES.COM NEEPAWANATIVES.COM Page 3 Neepawa Natives Community Programs About the MJHL I I Skate With The Alumni appreciation The Manitoba Junior Hockey League has a rich tradition and the Natives Night events League members work hard every year to keep building upon its successes. The MJHL is the oldest Junior A League in Canada. The Christmas Natives Golf first year of operation was the 1918 – 1919 season. Parade Tournament Community Parent/Billett Food Drives As of the 2015 – 2016 season there are eleven (11) member teams in Appreciation Night Christmas Teddy Bear the MJHL and the league has enjoyed great success over the past Neepawa Natives several years. The theme of the past five MJHL seasons has been toss for the School Reading Manitobans. “parity”. The League championship has been up for grabs each of the Programs Assist in local charity past five seasons with as many as eight teams having a legitimate Neepawa Natives work chance of winning. The League has developed into a tough, competitively balanced league. This has created some tremendous Skill Completion for Plus many, many other the Community events. playoff series to the delight of the MJHL’s loyal fans. The mission statement of the MJHL is “To provide each player with Neepawa Natives History an elite hockey development experience with a strong emphasis on The Neepawa Natives is one of the oldest franchises in Manitoba. The Natives began in 1949 as they played as an Intermediate hockey team playing in the Big Six Intermediate Hockey League. When the education and citizenship.” The MJHL provides wonderful NHL only had six teams many quality players played amateur hockey and moved on to higher levels opportunities for young men who are interested in developing as while honing their skill in leagues like the BSIHL. The Big Six Intermediate Hockey League (BSIHL) hockey players while pursuing educational and hockey dreams. The was an Intermediate 'A' hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The league was very competitive as it had dozens former and future NHLers including Hockey Hall of Famer MJHL develops players for advancement to higher levels of hockey. Bryan Hextall and Neepawa Native, Jimmy Creighton, who played with the Detroit Red Wings. The senior team played well into the 1970’s in which they won many provincial titles and the league’s When a player decides to play for a MJHL team he will be joining an Ross Trophy. impressive group of young men who have played in the League and The junior installment of the Neepawa Natives began in 1989 where they have enjoyed 26 years in the MJHL. The Neepawa Natives have a gone on to greatness in the NHL and in other careers. Former MJHL rich and proud history of developing players for all levels of hockey. We have a proud history and have had many successful seasons reaching players who have starred or are currently playing in the NHL include the MJHL Finals in 1996 and the meeting in the division finals seven Bob Clarke, Eddie Belfour, Tyler Arnason, Mike Ridley, Jordin times. Neepawa keeps close ties with it alumni and we celebrate the Tootoo, Shane Hnidy and many, many more. accomplishments on a regular basis. These accomplishments include many players who have moved onto higher levels of hockey like the NCAA, Major Junior, CIS and professional ranks. Over the last decade the league has grown to impressive heights. In ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS the last six years, five MJHL teams have made it to the Royal Bank Cup National Tournament (which is as many, or more than any other Neepawa was a great team to play for because of the relationships we built with our teammates, and being in a small community allowed us to Junior Hockey League in Canada). Furthermore, the MJHL had won four of the last seven Anavet Cups against the Saskatchewan Junior do so. The relationships most players had with community members are life lasting. We understood what it took to be successful on the ice Hockey League. Over the last decade, 32 players have been who and it was the support of the people in Neepawa that helped us be have suited up with an MJHL team were drafted to the NHL and successful off the ice. There are good people who are the foundation many other former MJHLer's have signed NHL contracts. Most of the Neepawa Natives. For all the people who I had the privilege of recently players Brenden O’Donnell, Peter Stoykwych, and Jason building a relationship with when I was in Neepawa, I thank you! And I Kasdorf were drafted in the NHL Draft. know I speak for all alumni whom I stay in contact with when I say I wouldn't have wanted to play anywhere else. LEFT: Matt Bailey – 2007 Neepawa Natives Alumni Signed with Anaheim Ducks 2014 Corey Billaney – Professional Educator and High School Hockey Coach RIGHT: Neepawa Native Alumni Patrick Koppchen of Germany and Cody Eakin of Canada battle for the puck during the IIHF World Championship match between Canada and Germany on May 3, 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic Page 4 NEEPAWANATIVES.COM NEEPAWANATIVES.COM Page 5 General Manager’s Message Why Nee pawa is the Right Choice for You Promoting Players The Neepawa Natives Junior “A” Hockey Club is a The Native's staff has worked hard promoting players.