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The Portland Winterhawks make their return to SaskTel Centre this evening and when they do, i
t will be the first time since January 12, 2019, almost four years to the day that the Winterhawks last played in the Bridge City. It also marks the return to Saskatoon for Saskatoon Blazers Alum, Josh Zakreski. Tonight’s game against the Blades will be the first opportunity for Zakreski to lace ‘em up in his hometown since dawning the blue and orange of his hometown Blazers.
To say that he’s excited to be back playing in Saskatoon would be an understatement. “I’m definitely excited to come back and play. I’m most excited to play in front of family and friends and be back home where I’m most comfortable.”
Zakreski was a 2-year player in the Blazers program from 2020-2022 after working his way up through the Saskatoon Minor hockey ranks.
Rewind for a moment back to Zakreski’s rookie campaign of 2020-21 with the Blazers. The regular season start was delayed by the Covid pandemic. Eventually the team would get to play four regular season games. Under provincial guidelines and regulations, the team was able to practice in small groups before the Saskatchewan U18AAA Hockey League was eventually shut down for the year altogether. While some players look back on that year as a missed opportunity for development, Zakreski actually credits that season as a huge part of his growth as a player.
“Looking back, I think my first year having the season cancelled helped my progression immensely. I was practicing with guys like (Nolan) Flamand, (Matthew) Hodson, the Buckberger’s (Boston and Braxton) and (Parker) Lalonde. Those guys were all top players on our team that year and coming to practice with them each day in smaller groups was awesome.”
Indeed, one look at the Blazers roster in Josh Zakreski’s rookie year with the team and it’s not hard to see why he had to bring the compete level to the rink each and every day, game or practice. Eleven (11) players from that 2020-21 roster have moved on to play in the Western Hockey League. Nine (9) players have gone on to play Junior A. Four (4) of those players playing in Junior A have secured NCAA commitments; Boston Buckberger – Wisconsin, Holden Doell – Ferris State, Parker Lalonde – Minnesota State University and Hudson Malinoski – Providence.
“The scrimmages and battle drills would always get intense and usually ended with some happy and some angry guys,” said Zakreski.
The 8
th Round selection went to Winterhawks training camp as a rookie in late summer - 2021 and had a great camp. He started the 2021-22 season with the Blazers and was second on the team in scoring with 12 points in 11 games when he got the call from Portland in mid-November to make his WHL debut against the Seattle Thunderbirds. He would end up playing 2 games with the Winterhawks before returning to Saskatoon and the Blazers.
In early January of 2022 he was re-called by Portland and played another 9 games with the Winterhawks, scoring his 1
st Western Hockey League goal in a 6-5 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. He had 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) altogether in the 11 games he played in his 16 year-old year with the ‘Hawks. That experience helped his confidence take off as he finished the Blazers 2021-22 regular season with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 28 games. He also chipped in another 7 points in 5 playoff games.
This season with Portland, Zakreski currently finds himself in the middle of an intense push for top spot in the WHL’s Western Conference as a rookie in the league. He knows that every game means something every night. “It’s been tough being involved in such a tight chase but it’s nice to be part of a good team.” He also knows that going through all those daily battles in practices and games in his two years with the Blazers helped prepare him for this situation. “The time spent with those guys helped build me to be the player I am today.”
Blazers General Manager Cole Shepherd has watched Zakreski’s development over the last four or five years and speaks very highly of his work ethic. “Josh’s game prep and focus translates seamlessly on ice and it shows through his compete level and readiness to play the game. His drive to get better every time he steps on the ice makes people around him better.”
Simply put, Josh Zakreski loves the game and it’s his determination to be better that drives him. “I think there’s a lot of little things that motivate me, but the main factor is my love for the game and just always wanting to be the best I can.”
Zakreski appreciated his time with the Blazers and has high praise for the organization. “I can’t thank the Blazers enough for the effort and support they put into not only me, but the team, to help guide us along and achieve our goals in our hockey careers.”
Last night in Prince Albert, he opened the scoring in a 5-3 Winterhawks win over the Raiders. Tonight, he’ll be looking for the same results as Portland takes on the Saskatoon Blades. Game time is 7:00pm at SaskTel Centre.
