Kings sign former WAA Skiffington
By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter
Photo Courtesy of the
Strathmore Wheatland Kings
The latest signing by the Heritage Junior Hockey League club (HJHL) was announced June 18, when the Kings signed Brady Skiffington from the Wheatland Athletic Association (WAA) midget Chiefs.
Skiffington joins the likes of A.J. Kusu, Riley Stovka and Zach Suntjens as members from the Chiefs last year to be inked by the Kings.
“Signing with the Kings has been something that has been on my mind ever since our season ended. I had some things to think about, I wasn’t sure if I was going to go to college in Lethbridge, but I decided to take a year off, work and play hockey,” said Skiffington. “Seeing those guys already sign with the Kings was 100 per cent a big factor for me. It’s just going to make the jump up to junior hockey that much easier already having familiar faces in the dressing room.”
Kings Head Coach Joel Robinson made it clear after he was brought on to coach the Kings that building a stronger connection with the local hockey programs was one of his biggest priorities.
“Brady is a guy we targeted as soon as I took over here. From what I have seen and what I have heard, I think he has the ability to be a versatile two-way forward in our system,” said Robinson. “We are thrilled to sign him.”
Last year with the Chiefs, Skiffington was seventh in scoring with 12 goals and 21 points in 36 games.
Skiffington’s signing was the fourth out of the WAA program this summer. With 40 identification cards at their disposal, the Kings would like to bring in a few more local players if possible.
One of Robinson’s other priorities when he took the job was that he wanted to turn the Kings into an HJHL championship contender and eventually win a title at the Strathmore Family Centre.
As lofty as those goals may sound right now when you look around at the Red Deers and the Cochranes of the league, it is important to note the Kings now have five players – when you include Chayse Hnatowich – who were all key contributors in the 2016-17 Chiefs team that annihilated the competition all season en route to the WAA’s first provincial championship.
“These guys really sold me on how bad they want to win a championship and how that is what they are working towards. You have to believe in something to have a chance and they were all very serious about it,” said Skiffington.
Realistic championship aspirations might be a few years away, but Robinson and his staff are beginning to build a solid foundation of local players that could turn into an impactful roster one day down the road.
Skiffington plays a game similar to Kusu; he plays hard and isn’t scared of going into the corners; he’s a hard worker and a guy who can be used on the power play and penalty kill.
“I told him the same thing I told the other guys we signed. If they want top-line minutes, then they have to come in and earn it. I think he has the type of game that can rotate in and out of the top six, depending on who we are playing and how Brady is playing that day,” said Robinson.
Commitment in their own end and a commitment to the program are issues that needed to be addressed in the past, and Skiffington believes that having a team that already has a strong sense of familiarity with one another will certainly help that.
“I’ve already played in big games and have won with some of these guys, so we know what it takes to be successful. We are hopefully going to bring that chemistry into this dressing room,” said Skiffington.
The pieces are beginning to fall into place for the new Kings. Other than a couple more signings this summer, next up for the Kings is seeing how all those pieces fit together once the puck drops in training camp in August 24 at the Strathmore Family Centre.