WHL champion Lakovic ready to bring clutch skillset to 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada

Moose Jaw, Sask.- Lynden Lakovic remembers the stomach-churning sensation of sitting on the bench as the puck dropped on overtime in Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship between his Moose Jaw Warriors and the regular season champion Saskatoon Blades.

This was the sixth game of the series to go to overtime and the sellout crowd of more than 13,000 fans at the SaskTel Centre seemed to tower over the benches like a wall of Blades yellow and blue, save for a section of red and black Warriors fans who had piled into busses to come watch the historic match.

“It almost didn’t feel real,” Lakovic recalled. “You’re on the bench and, honestly, you’re more nervous watching than you are playing, just because it’s kind of out of your control and anything could happen at any moment.”

He wouldn’t have to wait long to get his chance to make something happen.

At the first whistle, Warriors Head Coach Mark O’Leary tapped Lakovic, alternate captain Atley Calvert and Brayden Schuurman to line up for a defensive-zone faceoff.

The group won the puck and rushed up the ice, with Lakovic bursting down the wing and throwing an innocuous-looking shot on net.

THE @MJWARRIORS ARE HEADING TO THE #WHLCHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2006!#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/roZCmAXdmO

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 8, 2024

The next thing he saw was the puck fluttering into the twine and a wave of his screaming teammates flying off the bench in celebration.

Standing at a whopping 6-foot-4, Lakovic’s red helmet peeked out above his teammates as a wave of Warriors flew off the bench and enveloped the heroic goal-scorer in celebration.

The totality of that moment wouldn’t set in for hours.

“I would say (it sunk in) when we got back that night to Moose Jaw and there were like 800 fans sitting outside our room where the bus parks,” Lakovic smiled. “After the WHL finals, before the Memorial Cup, a bunch of us were just sitting around and we were like, ‘Wow, we really did that,’ you know?”

Moose Jaw would go on to sweep the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL Championship Series to lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history- thanks, in large part, to the efforts of 17-year-old Lakovic.

The Warriors sophomore scored five times in that 20-game playoff run, with four of those markers standing as game-winners and three coming in overtime.

O’Leary believes experiencing that level of battle in the playoffs early in his career is critical for the young gun’s development.

“It’s not so much that feeling, the excitement of winning,” O’Leary explained. “I think you learn from what goes into that- winning and going through a playoff run like that- how we grew and built as a team and the punch-back mentality. That’ll serve you well whether it’s playing pro hockey or going on in life.

“He welcomes the challenges and the big moments, and we certainly saw a lot of that in the playoff run. That’s a good sign for a young player and that’s not going to leave him anytime soon. He’s confident in what he can bring, but on the biggest stage I thought he played his best hockey for sure.”

While the Warriors are in the midst of a challenging season post-championship, Lakovic has continued to trend up.

The towering 190-pound winger, affectionately nicknamed ‘Bones’, is pacing the team with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 19 games.

“As a winger, sometimes you’re looking for a center man to kind of drive the line and distribute the puck to you, but I think he’s a little bit different that way,” O’Leary said. “He can drive his own line if he needs to. (He) does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of bringing pucks from the defensive zone 200 feet to put it in a dangerous position in the offensive zone.

“He’s also put a lot of work into his shot. We saw the shot last year a little bit, certainly in the playoffs, but I think it really took a step in the off-season with the work he put in. He doesn’t need many opportunities to cash in, and we’ve seen it just a little bit heavier, and that makes him more dangerous.”

NHL Central Scouting has recognized Lakovic as an ‘A’ prospect, or projected first-round pick, ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in its preliminary player list.

Now, he’ll get a chance to see how he stacks up against some of the other top draft-eligible talent at the upcoming CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada.

“That’s what I like about these types of events,” Lakovic added. “You get to meet new people, play with new players, and you get to play against unbelievable competition. That’s that’s what it’s all about.

“I’ve heard London’s got a pretty electrifying building, so I’m kind of excited to go there. But besides that, you know, I’ve never really played against the States guys before, so I’m really looking forward to that, to kind of see what they’re about, and hopefully, the CHL team can take home a couple wins.”

Lakovic is one of 10 WHLers and one of five ‘A’-rated prospects taking part in the event.

The new-format top prospects showdown kicks off on November 26 in London, Ont. before moving on to Oshawa, Ont. for the finale on November 27.