SASKATOON – The journey to becoming a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team is different for every player but for Logan McVeigh that journey had a few extra stops. The rookie forward played for four different teams over a five-year junior career.
McVeigh was moved at the trade deadline on three separate occasions and last season he was claimed off waivers by the Kamloops Blazers, ending his Western Hockey League odyssey in the same city where it began.
“It was hard for me, going from team to team, but knowing guys on the team you’re getting traded to definitely helps,” he said. “You get older too. Every trade I was older, so that helped too.”
Getting traded is never easy but McVeigh understands it was a reality of playing in the WHL. That said, he’s happy to be in a place where, for the first time in five years, his name will remain over the same locker stall from the first game of the season to the last.
“We talked about that in the dressing room, the guys and I,” he said. “Staying in the same city for the whole year is going to be awesome.”
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Being a Huskie means stability and it’s also a homecoming for McVeigh, who hails from Kenaston and played midget hockey with the Saskatoon Contacts.
“We spoke about that at the Hanley cafe back in late April, early May, when he got back from Kamloops,” said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph, recalling his recruiting pitch to McVeigh. “We talked about trying to convince him to come home and be amongst all the guys that he grew up with.”
“A junior career is always nice because every year you play, you get a free year of schooling, so that was definitely one of the things that led me to play (in the) CIS,” McVeigh said. “But just knowing a bunch of the guys, a bunch of my friends were on this team it definitely convinced me to come play here.”
So far that decision is looking pretty good. McVeigh is tied for fourth among Canada West rookies with seven goals and his +11 rating ranks ninth in the conference, but his best asset may be his versatility.
“This weekend we’re going to call upon him to play centre because of a couple injuries and he can do that probably better than left wing,” said Adolph. “He’s been valuable because he can move up and down the lineup, he can play on the power play and kill penalties. He’s just steady.”
It’s a change of position, but for once, no change in the jersey on McVeigh’s back.
“It’s great. I’m excited to play my years here, get some schooling in, and with this group of guys you can’t go wrong.”
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