Whitecourt Wolverines prove hungry in preseason action and look poised for an action-packed year

It might still have been August, and technically still summer, but that did not stop the puck from

dropping in the AJHL. The Whitecourt Wolverines took on the Camrose Kodiaks for the first

game of the 2024/2025 preseason schedule on Saturday, August 24, securing a big 5-4 win on

the road.

For their second game on August 27, the Wolverines drove up to Grande Prairie to take on the

Storm. With the wind at their back, the Storm blew the puck into the Wolverine’s net eight times,

lighting up the scoreboard and sending them home with their tails between their legs following

an 8-1 loss.

After shaking off the previous game, the Whitecourt Wolverines focused ahead for game three,

their first home game at JDA Place! With 350 fans in the stands, the Wolverines pushed the

Barons around like toys and got themselves back into the win column, taking the game 6-2.

In their final August match-up, the Wolverines looked redemption in the face. Instead of being

on the road this time, the Wolverines welcomed the Grande Prairie Storm to JDA Place. When

they met days before, the Storm managed to take a massive win, and the Wolverines were not

about to let that happen twice.

The Storm drew blood first, scoring early, but any excitement that gave the team quickly

dissipated in the second period. Just shy of four minutes in, Alaska native Bowman Klippenstein

scored his first preseason goal, tying things up. Roughly three minutes later, Klippenstein got on

the points sheet again, assisting his teammate, Kyle Tucker, who scored his first.

With the lead in their claws, the Whitecourt Wolverines continued to push. Fast forward another

three and a half minutes and the goal light above the Storm’s net was going off again as

Wolverine Colin Ronalds, assisted by Chayse King and Kyle Tucker (his third assist), snipped

the puck past the visitor’s netminder, giving his team a 3-1 lead.

With over half the period left, third-year Wolverine Braden Keeble joined the chorus and scored

the fourth goal of the period. The Whitecourt Wolverines had flipped the game on its head and

went from being down a goal to being ahead by three in less than twelve minutes. Wow!

Through the first two periods, the game did not feel so much like a preseason game. It felt more

like a mid-season game. There was tension between the two teams, and hits looked harder than

one might expect from the fourth game of the preseason. If that was a teaser into how this

season will go, local fans better scoop up their currently discounted season tickets and fill JDA

Place because it will be one heck of a year.

In the final frame, things got even crazier. Out to make a name for himself, Bowman

Klippenstein gave fans something extra fun- a Gordie Howe hat trick! Klippenstein scored a

goal, got an assist and got into a fight. Two others who joined him on the penalty sheet were

Lucas Bremshey-Guillemete for holding and Benjamin Henshall for hooking.

Not satisfied with their 4-1 lead, the Wolverines kept up the pace, playing as if they were behind

and not ahead. That push resulted in one final goal on the night. Benjamin Henshall potted his

first goal of the preseason, assisted by fan favourite Hunter Motley. The Whitecourt Wolverines

took the game 5-1.

Edmonton-native Zac Onyskiw recorded the win in net during his first game with the Whitecourt

Wolverines. He previously played for the Spruce Grove Saints, recording 42 wins in 66 games

over three seasons.

Friday’s game was also the first since the Whitecourt Wolverines announced that former

Wolverine Jaedon Leslie was hired as the team’s assistant/skills coach. Leslie played in the

AJHL for three and a half years and finished top-five in his Wolverines’ career for both points

and games. The powerhouse on the ice is now bringing his talents behind the bench.

In a press release on www.whitecourtwolverines.ca, Leslie said, “It’s great being back around

this program and getting to work with my former coach and former teammate. I’m excited to give

back and help these young players achieve their individual goals while working towards the

ultimate team goal of bringing a championship to Whitecourt.” Head Coach/General Manager

Shawn Martin was quoted as saying, “It will be great to have another former Wolverine on staff

with Bryson to continue to grow our tradition and history.”

The regular season starts on Friday, September 13. The Wolverines will be on the road at the

Bonnetts Energy Centre, taking on the Grande Prairie Storm. The first home game of the

season will feature the same teams and will be on Saturday, September 14. Between

September 25 and 27, at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary, there will be an AJHL Showcase event

where each team will play twice (twelve games). The next preseason game at JDA Place will be

on Saturday, September 7, against the Camrose Kodiaks.