Joel Webb, the captain of the Lloydminster Bandits, epitomizes the workmanlike routine that’s customary for junior B hockey players.
Read more: Lloyd sweeps Vermilion as both teams prepare for provincials at the Hub
Most of them are busy with full-time jobs or as students in high school or post-secondary programs.
It’s no different this week as the Bandits host the six-team Hockey Alberta provincial junior B championship from Wednesday through Easter Sunday at the Hub.
Webb planned to go to work Wednesday and Thursday, even though the Bandits play both of those nights. He’d probably be working Friday, too, if it weren’t the Good Friday holiday.
Webb said he’s among several players who juggle their work and school commitments with their love of the game.
The Bandits had a week off the ice after winning the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League championship, in which they swept the Vermilion Tigers, the other local representative in this week’s provincials.
“We won on Saturday (March 21), celebrated, and it was kind of back to work on Monday,” said Webb, a 22-year-old forward in his final season of junior hockey. “That was that.
“So, it’s not like I even get too much time off to be lazy. I’m a pretty physical guy, so it’s going all the time for me and lots of other guys on our team who do that (active schedule) as well.
“It’s good to get your legs under you, too. When you’re moving around all day, as opposed to sitting around, it makes a difference come game time, too.”
The Bandits have been a going concern all season. They won the regular-season pennant and went 8-1 in the playoffs, including a 4-1 series victory over the Killam Wheat Kings in the league semifinals.
“I think our biggest thing we learned (this season) was definitely how to handle adversity,” Webb said about his Bandits. “There were quite a few times, three out of the four games in the final, where we were down off the jump. And we just had good, resilient comeback wins.
“I think that loss against Killam in the first round might have even been a good thing for some guys. It was a learning experience. From there on out, we learned how to handle pressure, whenever it came to us.”
A CALMING INFLUENCE
Wily veterans like Webb, Jayden Plamondon and Kade Dennett are cool customers with the Bandits. Not to mention goaltender Shae Stewart, a calming influence between the pipes.
“Shae is one of those guys that will rise to the occasion,” Webb said about the Turtleford farmer. “If he has an off night, you know he’s going to come back and play the best game of his year the next.
“He handles the pressure very well. I don’t know what it is about him. He’s just a big-game player. That’s all I can say.”
Webb can’t say enough about Lloydminster’s productive Kid Line — or pipeline — of Cash Parkin, Jake Redden and Colton Parker.
“Our whole line of Jake and Cash and Colton have just been fantastic,” he said. “They’re all rookies, but you can’t tell.
“They handle themselves very well. They’re our best forechecking line and they’re great defensively. They really have impressed me so far with their play and their ability to find the offence from their resilient forecheck.”
At the same time, they’re fearless on the ice, and not easily intimidated.
“It helps that they probably are our biggest line,” Webb reasoned. “We’re not necessarily a massive team, but they all throw their weight around pretty well and they can hang with anybody. They can hang with guys my age. They’re good, strong young men.”
In their opening game of the provincial championship tournament, the Bandits were going against the Medicine Hat Cubs on Wednesday night, before facing the La Crete Lumber Barons on Thursday night, the Calgary Northstars Black on Friday evening and the Sherwood Park Knights on Saturday afternoon. Sherwood Park won the Capital Junior Hockey League championship just last weekend.
COMFORTS OF HOME
The Bandits considered themselves fortunate to be rested, as they regrouped for practice this Monday night.
“Yeah, especially matching up against Medicine Hat first,” Webb said. “They did the same thing as us, sweeping their league, so we’ll be on the same page there, with them. But they’ve got the five-hour bus trip, so hopefully we’ll be able to get the jump on them.
“It’s always something to get situated in a new atmosphere. Hotels aren’t necessarily the best living (conditions), so we’ve got that advantage as well.”
The Bandits are trying to write a perfect opening chapter for playoff hockey at the Hub.
“Yeah, it would be nice to set a tone of atmosphere within the new rink,” Webb said. “There’s no past, so it would be nice to bring home a provincial banner for the teams that have home ice at the Energy Hub.”
If the Bandits and Tigers meet each other in provincials, it would either be in the bronze- or gold-medal games Sunday.
“Yeah, absolutely, you never know, we could be seeing them in the playoff round, if we’re both as good as we think,” Webb said with a chuckle.
“Every game in the final was very tight. The only game that wasn’t a one-goal game, we scored an empty-netter. So, they’re right there with us and we can’t write them off. We gotta throw everything we’ve got.”
While junior hockey is coming to an end for Bandits’ overagers Webb, Plamondon, Dennett and Stewart, Webb believes the focus is still on winning a provincial championship.
“It hasn’t set in yet,” he said about graduating.
“I think it’s more the excitement of getting to play in a provincial tournament, at home, with the whole team.
“It’s a privilege and it’s an opportunity to go out with a bang. I think when it’s all said and done, I’ll be a little teary eyed, but right now I’m just excited to get going with provincials.”
