The Airdrie Techmation Thunder junior B hockey team’s 2021-22 season came to an end Feb. 23, following a 6-3 defeat to the Red Deer Vipers in Game 5 of the second round of the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) playoffs.
Head coach Chad Moore said the Thunder’s players were understandably disappointed in the dressing room after the Feb. 23 loss.
“There were some emotions flowing, and for the right reasons,” Moore said.
“The boys battled hard, worked their butts off, and went through some challenges we weren’t really accustomed to. You can’t really prepare for things that are unknown, but I thought we did a pretty good job reacting to situations and making the best of it.”
The Vipers overcame the Thunder in five games in their second-round, best-of-seven series, outscoring Airdrie 18-8. The win advances Red Deer into the HJHL North Division finals against the Cochrane Generals.
While the Thunder kept their series hopes alive with a 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Feb. 22 at the Ron Ebbesen Arena, the Vipers proved too much to handle the following night in Red Deer.
“It was a challenge, no doubt about it,” Moore said. “The guys were pretty upset at going out 4-1 to Red Deer, but [the Vipers] are a good squad. We just came off on the wrong side.”
With hockey now over until the fall, Moore said the Thunder’s coaching staff will start preparing for the team’s end-of-season banquet and player awards ceremony, which usually takes place in April.
Once that has wrapped up, he said the coaches will start piecing together next year’s roster, with an eye on summer skates in July and August, and tryouts in September.
“We’ll take some time to reflect, go over lessons learned, things we can improve upon, and then start thinking about the infrastructure for next year,” Moore said. “We have a great returning group with a lot of core assets. Some of the players will fill leadership roles. We look forward to that and will take it day-by-day over the summer.”
Three overage players are moving on from junior this season, according to Moore, including Luke Jensen, Brett LeGrandeur, and Kory Zinck.
“They’re three big pieces of our team, and those are big shoes to fill,” he said, adding Jensen has been the Thunder’s captain for the last two years.
“The guys look up to him and he influences everyone on and off the ice,” Moore said of Jensen's impact. “There’s obviously a gap to fill there, and it’s a tough loss. Who he is as a person, primarily, is something we truly need. He’s a great human being, hockey player, and presence in the dressing room, so that’s a gap we’ll have to focus on in the off-season.”
Jensen, 21, spent four seasons with the Thunder, and said he will miss the camaraderie he developed with his teammates while suiting up for his hometown's junior team.
“It's kind of sad, the way it ended with that last game there," he said. "It kind of hits you that you're done your junior career. At the same time, I do want to get going with my life and start doing other things. It's kind of a good thing, while at the same time, it's sad.
“It's always been really good in the dressing room. Whoever is on the dressing room, everyone always gets along. It's always been great to be on the team.”
In LeGrandeur, Moore said Airdrie will miss his scoring ability and his willingness to work hard to grind out wins. LeGrandeur was previously the team’s rookie of the year in the championship-winning 2018-19 season, after which he played two years of junior A hockey in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with the Yorkton Terries.
He moved back home to Airdrie to see out his junior career with the Thunder and play alongside his younger brother Justin. In 17 games, the older LeGrandeur scored six goals and recorded six assists.
“It was a tough year for him due to injuries and suspensions,” Moore said. “It’s just the style of game he plays. He’s a hard-nosed hockey player who can put the puck in the net. We’re going to lose some natural goal-scoring ability with his departure.”
Moore called Zinck the team’s “heart-and-soul,” adding the 21-year-old gives his all in every single game and practice.
“He’s very tenacious, and we didn’t have a lot of that on the team this year, so the guys built off of what he brought to the table in practices and games,” he said. “He has some fight to him, which is awesome, and that will be tough to fill next year. You always need someone like that, especially when it comes down to the playoffs and playing gritty hockey.”
