Jaxan Hopko, one of the toughest Bobcats of them all, was suitably impressed with young teammate Tucker Robertson’s pugilistic power in Lloydminster’s big win at home last weekend.
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Five minutes before Robertson decisively won his first AJHL fight, Hopko scored the game-breaking 3-0 goal early in the third period of a 5-0 victory over the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
“You could just tell, when Tucker fought, how loud the crowd got, so it was good,” said Hopko, a 19-year-old defenceman from Lloydminster.
While he has multiple junior A fights under his belt, Hopko didn’t take credit for teaching Robertson, an 18-year-old rookie forward from B.C., how to handle himself in such situations.
“Maybe here and there in practice, but no, I didn’t (teach him how to fight),” Hopko said with a grin.
“It was pretty good. I’m happy for him.”
Hopko made the crowd of 1,301 fans happy when he netted his seventh goal of the season on a low shot from the point.
In an interview after the game, the third-year Bobcat offered a few pointers on how to approach a fight.
“Honestly, it’s more so just tuck your chin and swing, and hopefully you catch him a couple of times, and don’t give up,” said Hopko, who has accumulated 45 penalty minutes to go along with his 23 points in 39 games this season.
MULTIPLE HONOURS
His steady production, offensively and defensively, all winter has earned Hopko the nod as the Meridian Source’s athlete of the month. In mid-January, the AJHL named him as the league’s defensive player of the week. That surge included his four-point game (2-2) in Lloyd’s 6-3 home victory over the Bonnyville Pontiacs.
Hopko, the Bobcats’ most-offensive defenceman, ranked seventh in AJHL defence scoring after last weekend’s action. That top-10 list includes two Bonnyville blue-liners — ex-Bobcat Ben Costantino in fourth spot and Maxim Shushkov at No. 8.
The Bobcats also rewarded him this week, announcing on Tuesday that Hopko is the January winner of the monthly Heart and Hustle team award. For his efforts, he receives a new suit from Cliff Rose for Clothes in Lloydminster.
A productive summer of training with Bobcats assistant coach Matt Brassard has translated into a career year for Hopko, six foot-two and 210 pounds.
“This past summer, I worked pretty hard,” he said. “I trained with Brass in the summer, did some track workouts and stuff like that.
“Honestly, the goal for this year was just to be that guy that the young guys can look at (and learn from). Just playing my game each night, defending hard and getting pucks on net.
“Obviously, good things are happening right now, so it’s good.”
Before he celebrated his 19th birthday in September, Hopko was named an assistant captain as part of a Bobcats’ leadership group that includes hometown captain Kade Fendelet.
One of the rookies that Hopko has helped transition into the AJHL this winter is former U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers captain Brady Gamble, an able defenceman who turns 19 in February.
“Yeah, he’s been good,” Hopko said of Gamble. “He’s learned lots this year and he’s just getting better each game.”
For the local players, especially, it’s an exciting time to be a Bobcat. Lloyd is a contending team, frequently playing in front of more than 1,100 fans at the new Cenovus Energy Hub.
“Being from here, when I was a young kid, I always looked up to the (junior A players in Lloydminster),” Hopko said. “I wanted to be a Bobcat when I got older. That was the goal.
“And now, being here, it’s crazy how much of an impact you can have on the kids. Like, going on school visits, or even just giving fist pumps going out the tunnel, you see the biggest smiles on their faces. Just happy to see that.”
The Bobcats will see a lot of the road during the next couple of weeks as they play five straight games out of town. This weekend, they visit the Whitecourt Wolverines on Saturday night and the Devon Xtreme on Sunday afternoon.
“We need those wins up there,” Hopko said. “We’ve got to grind it out and, hopefully, get it done.”
Robertson believes the road swing can bring the team that much closer, with four new players added in January and two others in December.
“Yeah, road trips are a lot of bonding, a lot of time on the bus,” he said. “Just bonding together, and hopefully winning some more games.”
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