NIPAWIN 鈥� With a number of new faces, the Nipawin Hawks have turned to Gage Misskey to captain the team as they defend their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honour and I am very thankful that I鈥檓 the guy that both the team and staff can rely on,鈥� Misskey said.
The 20-year-old Melfort product joined the Hawks early last season from the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Misskey had been an assistant captain with his former team. He quickly established himself as an important player and leader for Nipawin.
鈥淕age is a quiet leader that leads by example both on and off the ice,鈥� Hawks head coach Doug Johnson said. 鈥淗e works his ass off on the ice and sacrifices for the team. Off the ice he is the guy that is talking and playing with our young fans and volunteering for all our events.鈥�
When asked about his leadership style, Misskey said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not the loudest guy, but I always do my job and lead by example.鈥�
The Hawks count on the 5-foot-9, 173-pound defenseman to be strong on the blueline. He has a goal and five assists in 13 games.
鈥淕age does everything well on the ice,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淗e competes, is very intelligent, and has a skill set that allows him to make all the plays. He may not be the flashiest player, but he is our most reliable D-man that is incredibly consistent.鈥�
After playing bantam AA hockey for Humboldt, Misskey developed his game with three seasons at the midget AAA level with the Swift Current Legionnaires. Not surprisingly, he captained the team in his final season.
After that, Misskey departed to Drumheller for a season and a half. Last season鈥檚 trade returned him to his home province. It also brought him to the SJHL鈥檚 Sherwood Division 鈥� where he competes against his hometown Melfort Mustangs and his younger brother Jake.
鈥淧laying against my brother has been unique,鈥� Gage said in an interview last year. 鈥淚t has the sibling rivalry aspect to it, but we have a great deal of respect for each other at the same time.鈥�
Last year the Hawks were able to fly to not only the top of the Sherwood but also the league. Nipawin claimed its first league title in 28 years. Misskey said what he enjoyed most about the team鈥檚 success was raising the Canalta Cup over his head after a hard-fought season.
鈥淚t was a great season with highs and lows, but coming out as a champion was something that I will never forget,鈥� he said.
