Graduated Pats Look Toward New Opportunities
By Daniel Fink – ReginaPats.com
Regina, Saskatchewan – As the Regina Pats move ever closer to the 2014-15 season, three members of last year’s squad look to take the next steps in their hockey careers. Dyson Stevenson, Boston Leier and Jesse Zgraggen were the Pats’ three overage players in the 2013-14 season. All three continue their hockey careers in the upcoming year, all following different paths. Stevenson plays his first season of professional hockey with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, Leier heads to Acadia University to suit up for the Axemen in the CIS and Zgraggen ventures across the Atlantic to play for Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Elite League.
After a career year in which he led the Pats in goals and was named the teams’ MVP, Dyson Stevenson makes his journey to the AHL in 2014-15. The gritty winger had options and eventually signed a deal with the Portland Pirates back in April and has been busy preparing to make the jump. In an interview with Pats play-by-play announcer Phil Andrews, Stevenson said some of his decision on which team to sign with came down to organizational depth.
“I just thought it was important for me, I didn’t really care about the money, it’s just a place where I could play and do the best I can to get a better contract next year and work hard to stay in the lineup,” explained Stevenson. “I thought Portland was the best fit and it’s going to be a great place to play if I can stick around there.”
For Boston Leier, the decision to head east and play for Acadia while attending school came from a desire to find new challenges and a different environment.
“Me and a friend of mine went on a recruiting trip out there and it’s a pretty exciting place,” said Leier. “Everyone there is a pretty tight knit family and it just seemed like the kind of place I wanted to be. I really wanted to experience something different. It’s not every day something like that comes up and I wanted to take advantage of it while I could.”
Of course it didn’t hurt that Leier’s coach for the 2013-14 season, Malcolm Cameron, is an alumni of the Axemen.
“Malcolm talked about (Acadia) very highly and he was a good influence on (choosing Acadia) too. Obviously I made my own decisions though. I know the athletic director out there pretty well, he’s a good family friend of ours. He said he thought it was a very good fit for me.”
With dual citizenship, Jesse Zgraggen had a few extra options to explore when it became apparent he wouldn’t be getting a deal to play in the pro-ranks here in North America.
“I talked to some agents who had dealt with players who had dual citizenship and I realized I wasn’t going to sign an NHL contract so I started looking at other options because hockey is what I wanted to do my whole life. So we started talking and looking at (Europe) as an option and we got a deal in place and it was good for everybody. It just worked out perfectly.”
As with anything in life, moving to a new stage of a hockey career presents new challenges. All three players, face different hurdles to overcome on and off the ice with their new teams and leagues.
For Stevenson it will be living as a pro and playing with and against men far his senior, but that challenge presents learning opportunities.
“You have to live like a grown man. I’m still only 21 next year, but I’m going to have to improve my eating habits and living habits off the ice because that’s a big thing when it comes to pro hockey you have to be just as good off the ice as on the ice and I respect that.”
On the ice, the Shaunavon, SK product sees his skating as something he will need to develop to compete at the next level.
“I need to improve my skating, obviously. It’s not my best feature in my game, but I’m going to work hard to do whatever I can to stay in the lineup next year and compete at the next level.”
In Leier’s case, the challenge will come from being in an academic environment balancing studies majoring in Business.
“The challenge is going to be relying on myself to get everything done. I’m going to have to rely on myself to cook and to clean and do my homework, making sure it gets done and not have everyone telling me to do my homework. Working and putting as much time into the schooling as I do the hockey is going to be another big (challenge).”
Zgraggen’s adjustments will come due to a different style of play in Europe and, of course, a larger ice surface the defender will have to patrol.
“I feel good about (the big ice). I was (in Europe) two years ago when I skated for a couple weeks and the big ice was something I actually really liked. It gives you a little bit more time, a little bit more room so I think I’m going to like that a lot. It should be fun.”
For all three, it’s a new step in their hockey careers and in life. The new experiences ahead provide lots to look forward to. For Dyson, it’s moving closer to his dream of playing in the NHL.
“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I know (the AHL) is not the NHL, but it’s one step closer. It’s going to take me a while to get there, and I’m just going to keep working hard to reach my goal.”
The opportunity to be a part of a team larger than the one on the ice is very attractive to Leier.
“Something I’m looking forward to is being part of a team at a school where you feel like one big team with the whole school. It’s not just the hockey team that’s the Axemen, but everyone there.”
The chance to play in Europe is an opportunity Zgraggen isn’t overlooking even with hopes of someday possibly reaching the NHL.
“The NHL is the best league in the world and everyone wants to play there. If that opportunity came around I’m sure I’d say yes and take that if I got the chance to. At the same time I’m thankful to have the opportunity in Europe and I’m not going to take that for granted.”
Pats overagers combined for 73 goals and 102 assists over the 2013-14 season, but the Pats will lose more than those numbers with Dyson Stevenson, Boston Leier and Jesse Zgraggen moving on from the team. The three each brought their own brand of leadership to the team and it will be up to the next group of 20-year olds to fill the gap in their own way for 2014-15.
