Defenceman has bear of a season

A change in atmosphere is good for the soul.

That's what Jake Dub é of the Alberta Junior Hockey League's (AJHL) Camrose Kodiaks would have you believe.

After playing two seasons with the Okotoks Oilers, the 19-year-old Cochranite thought a change in scenery was in order, and has never looked back since joining the Kodiaks.

“It's been great, ” Dub é said. “A lot of how successful I've been is down to the coaching staff and my teammates. Nothing against Okotoks as an organization, I respect them, but coming here has helped me a lot.

“The coaches have put me in different roles and in the thick of things. I've felt like part of the Kodiaks family since day one. ”

In terms of points, the defenceman recorded his best season this campaign, with 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games. To top it all off, he recently won the AJHL's Stewy Stewart Memorial Award on March 6.

The award is given out annually to the player in the league's South Division who best exemplifies character, dedication, intelligence, perseverance, and sportsmanship.

“I was pretty honoured to win an award like that, especially considering what it entails and represents, ” Dub é said. “I'm very thankful that my coaches nominated me, and I can't thank my teammates enough for having such a great year. ”

In his two seasons with the Oilers, Dub é played a total 71 games recording 17 points (four goals, 13 assists). Why does he think his first season with the Kodiaks has been his best year in the league yet?

“With (Okotoks) I was closer to home, ” he admitted. “There was a great bunch of guys there, and I was always comfortable, but I was always just 45 minutes from home. Once I got to Camrose, my whole atmosphere changed.

“Everything is hockey 24/7 now. You go to 9:30 practice, and then there's a training facility - which is fantastic - I don't worry about going home, so the amount of hockey in my life has increased 10-fold. The key has been my confidence level, the coaching staff has given me the reins from day one and let me become the player I've wanted to be. ”

After finishing second in the Viterra AJHL South Division with a record of 38-18-4, the Kodiaks are currently facing an uphill battle in the post-season against the Brooks Bandits - who finished first in the South Division with a record of 49-9-2. The Kodiaks lost the first two games of their best-of-seven series against the Bandits (4-0 and 4-1 respectively).

“We have to respect Brooks, but at the same time we can't give them too much respect, ” Dub é said. “We have to realize how good of a team we are, and that we can win. ”

Last season, the Kodiaks, were up 2-0 in a playoff series against the Bandits - winning the first couple games by the same scores of 4-0 and 4-1 - but were eventually eliminated.

This is something Dub é and his teammates haven't forgotten.

“The score is reversed this year compared to last, ” he said. “So, who knows what can happen. We know we can beat them, we just have to play our game and believe in ourselves. ”