The Lloydminster Bobcats had to do their homework to get the book on defenceman Kyle Jamieson during his senior year with the U18 AAA St. Albert Raiders.
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Jamieson’s regular season was limited to 18 games because he broke his collarbone and his left hand in separate incidents during the first half of the Alberta Elite Hockey League season.
Despite that small sample size, Jamieson made big gains just the same and earned an offer from Lloyd, which signed him about a month ago.
Last weekend, he participated in the Bobcats’ prospects camp, fully healthy and excited about the chance to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
“I was exploring my options, but eventually I decided here was the best fit for me,” Jamieson said Saturday, midway through the three-day camp at the Hub.
“They said they’ve been watching me over the year, and although I didn’t play a lot of games because I was injured, they came out and watched what they could. Yeah, it’s brought me here.”
Jamieson and fellow St. Albert defenceman Jett Toma signed with the Bobcats after the U18 AAA Raiders’ playoff run, which began with a 2-0 sweep of the Lloydminster Lancers and ended with a 2-1 series setback against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers.
“Yeah, it’s good to be back here,” he said inside Lloyd’s new arena. “A nice facility here.”
After eliminating the Lancers, the Raiders ran into a pesky Fort Sask team in the North Division semifinals.
“They were a physical team, and we just couldn’t keep up as much as they could,” said Jamieson, who turned 18 in February. “But I thought we gave them a good shot.”
Up next, Jamieson is taking a shot at the BCHL. He’s headed to a spring camp with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, who play relatively near his Spruce Grove-area home.
“That’s a big one for me,” he said. “Close to home.”
At the same time, Jamieson is prepared to step into the AJHL next season in the Border City, as part of the Bobcats.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “It’s a lovely organization and they’ve got lots to bring (to the table).”
Jamieson certainly brings size to the Lloydminster blue-line, continuing a towering theme from the latest Bobcats’ season.
“I’m six-two and around 195 pounds, so kind of a good fit,” he said. “I’ve just got to get my physical game up now (to ready for junior hockey).
“I’d say I’m more of a defensive defenceman. I know how to keep the puck on my stick and make a good first pass. Not over-exert the puck and keep it calm.”
It’s a calming feeling for Jamieson and Toma to join Lloyd together. They were even defence partners for part of the past season.
“It’s nice to just know someone, coming in,” said Jamieson, an assistant captain with the Raiders. “Also, as D partners, I played with (Toma) for a bit of the year.
“So, it’s nice to have some familiar faces. He’s a big D-man. A good first pass. He can create some offence.”
Toma assisted on 14 goals in 36 regular-season games and picked up another point in five post-season contests.
Jamieson scored a goal and 11 points in 18 regular-season games and added a goal in five playoff games.
Bouncing back from multiple injuries, Jamieson believes that process taught him about resilience.
“You’ve got to learn to push through it and deal with adversity,” he said. “You never know what can happen to anyone.”
On the fortunate side, both of his setbacks were in the first half of the season, so he was available for the stretch drive and playoffs. But injuries are never fun.
“My broken hand was at the start of the regular season, in a game against the (Calgary) Buffaloes, so that was a tough one, to be out at the start,” Jamieson said. “Then, my collarbone was right before we went to the Circle K tournament (at Christmastime), so that was another tough one to go through.”
Kyle Jamieson is not to be confused with Luke Jamieson, a 2009-born Calgary forward from the Edge School U18 prep program who was called up to the Bobcats for three AJHL games during the past season. Luke was also with Lloyd for the playoffs, but didn’t dress for any games.
Among the 2008-born signed players at the Bobcats’ prospects camp were Fort Saskatchewan U18 AAA forward Emile Plourde and OHA Edmonton U18 prep forward AJ Tarnowski, reported Andrew Gilbert, Lloyd’s assistant GM.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound Plourde, who previously played with his hometown Sherwood Park Kings, scored 20 goals and 43 points in 38 games with the Rangers.
Tarnowski, a six-foot-one, 180-pound Calgarian, netted 15 goals and 31 points in 21 games with OHA Edmonton.
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