Hockey Dogs healthy and happy to be home
By Darren Zary of The StarPhoenix
Mason Wallin, a small but super-quick forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, is certainly finding hockey’s new stricter rule enforcement much to his liking.
Wallin could always fly, but the old clutch-andgrab — and persistent stick-work of yesteryear — would inevitably slow him down.
“For sure, it’s opened up the game so much,” says Wallin, who was named the Canada West hockey player of the week for his five-point effort last weekend against the Manitoba Bisons.
“Guys can now use your speed more. You’re not being held up. That’s to my advantage, for sure. There’s a lot of power plays and we’re starting to click as a team, which is great. PK (penalty kill) we’re doing well, so special teams are a big game. If we do well there, we should do fine all year.”
Wallin, a fourth-year Dog, leads the conference in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 12 points in six games.
The Hockey Huskies, ranked No. 4 in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey, return to action Friday and Saturday at home against the No. 8 University of Calgary Dinos. Game time is 7 p.m. It’s the first full weekend series at home for the Huskies, who hold a 4-2-0 record, the same as the Dinos. Saskatchewan has played five of its first six games on the road.
“Last season, I stared right off with an injury third game, or whatever, and that kind of put me behind the 8-ball,” said Wallin, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward. “This year, I just wanted to go out and prove myself. It’s just a positive attitude. I haven’t had the years I wanted to have here, obviously.
“I’ve had injuries every year, with bad luck or what. My first year, I was having a great start and then I kind of hurt my ankle.
“This year is the most comfortable I’ve felt being here. The coaches have confidence in me, too. Not only do you have to have confidence in yourself, you have to have people around you have confidence in you, too.”
That has resulted in a bigger role for Wallin, a Prince Albert product and former Western Hockey League first-round bantam draft pick who played for the Spokane Chiefs.
Being healthy helps.
“You know, in Wally’s case, it’s the first time in four years he’s been healthy at this point,” said U of S head coach Dave Adolph. “In his case, he’s got hurt in the first week or two of every year he’s played with us and then been out until Christmas and not been on a line, not got any co-ordination or synch going with somebody.
“We’ve got him playing wing now and he’s playing with Ozzie (Curtis Austring). We’ve got him on the outside and he can stay outside. He doesn’t have to get whacked.”
DOG TALES: D-man Mark Hinz will make his debut for the Dogs on Saturday night. That’s when the former NCAA player officially becomes eligible to play CIS hockey . . . The Huskies are without their top two D-men, Derek Endicott (ribs) and Stephen Mann (shoulder). Trent Adamus (abdomen) and Keegan McAvoy (groin) are question marks up front.
dzary@sp.canwest.com
