The Moose Jaw U18 AAA Warriors would be the first to tell you that seeing players move on to the junior hockey ranks is exactly what they want to see — player development is the name of the game, after all, and any chance to see a youngster advance their hockey career is a positive.
If the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Estevan Bruins are any indication, the Warriors are doing a fine job, indeed.
The Bruins recently signed a pair of players from the local squad to their extended training camp, including Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product Caelan Fitzpatrick, along with recent acquisition and fellow Prairie Hockey Academy grad Keagon Little.
Fitzpatrick, 17, joined the Bruins last week after putting up 16 goals and 45 points in 44 games with the AAA Warriors last season. His 2018-19 campaign was spent with the PHA Cougars, where he 18 goals and 37 points in 35 games in the ultra-competitive Canadian Sport School Hockey League Elite 15 league.
“Caelan Fitzpatrick is a very solid player and it was great news to hear that he wanted to play for us,” said Jason Tartarnic, Bruins head coach and general manager on the team’s Twitter account. “Caelan impressed us last week and we feel he will be a very solid player that can play an all-around game. He has good size with a very good skill set. We are definitely happy to welcome Caelan to Estevan and the Bruins organization.”
Little, meanwhile, had yet to play with the Warriors after being signed by the team earlier this summer. The 17-year-old forward had seven goals and 20 points for the SMAAAHL’s Tisdale Trojans last season and racked up 15 goals and 57 points for the PHA Midget Varsity squad in the 2018-19 CSSHL campaign.
"As an organization we are very happy Keagon has decided to play for us this season,” said Tartarnic. “Keagon has a great skill set and has very good vision. We feel he will develop into a solid offensive player for us. Keagon is another young player that will help us prepare for the 2022 Centennial Cup."
Fitzpatrick’s rights were acquired in a trade with the Battlefords Stars prior to the 2020 SJHL Draft; Little saw his rights acquired from the Humboldt Broncos a day later.
