Bonnyville Pontiacs begin road trip without captain

Nicolas Beaudoin hurt in the right hand corner after taking an illegal hit from Ethan Beyer of the Brooks Bandits.

Mired in a three game losing streak, the Pontiacs look to turn the page down the home stretch before the Christmas break. 

Another three game road trip begins tonight in Okotoks, with games to follow in Calgary and Canmore – all contests the Yaks will be without their captain. 

After a difficult loss last weekend in Drumheller, the battle against the Brooks Bandits underlined the Yaks beating themselves, but was punctuated by a dirty hit. 

Nicolas Beaudoin was rushing down the right wing and released a shot toward Johnny Hicks, before he was bulldozed into the endboards, crashing violently and hardly able to glide off the ice. 

Brooks Bandits’ defender Ethan Beyer was given a major penalty at the time, and eventually handed a three-game suspension. The longterm status of their second leading point earner in doubt moving forward. 

The St. Paul native travelled with the team on Thursday, but will not suit up this weekend. With no one particular injury, rather a combination from the body thrashing, Beaudoin remains hopeful he can return sooner than later. 

Ste-Marie comments on hit 

Gauld acquired for Tardif

Meanwhile the complexion of this team will look different in more ways than just the absence of last year’s AJHL Rookie of the Year. 

On Thursday morning, the Pontiacs announced they had acquired Camrose Kodiaks captain Myles Gauld for Ludo Tardif, a swap of 2004-born forwards. 

Tardif had one more point in four fewer games this season, but Gauld is expected to add leadership and a better 200-foot game. 

It’s also another forward who can kill penalties and play center. 

Gauld had 16 goals and 21 assists last season as a rookie, but has produced just 5 goals and 9 assists on an offensively bereft club in the Kodiaks this year. 

Tardif should help in that pursuit for Camrose, who in 53 AJHL games, has amounted 44 points. 

“It is rare when you can add a captain from another organization and to add someone of Myles character is a huge addition to our program. He is a play driver and offensively creative, and we look forward to injecting Myles into our lineup this weekend,” said associate general manager Chad Nelson. 

“We would also like to thank Ludo for his time and contributions to our program over the last two years. He was a big part of our playoff drive to the league semi-finals last year and wish him continued success this season in Camrose.”

Healthy dose of road

The month of November wasn’t so kind to the Yaks. Bonnyville has leaked to a 5-6 record in the month, after losses to some of the league’s best. 

But the AJHL is a league with no free lunch, and the Yaks will try again on a three game in three day scenario almost an exact month after they got 4 of 6 points. 

Between 5th and 11th overall in the standings, are seven teams separated by a mere six points. 

The Pontiacs, sitting with a 15-12-2 record, good enough for 7th at the moment, will surpass the midway point in their schedule after this weekend. 

Six of their next eight games are on the road. 

Note the start times this weekend. 

It’s a 7 o’clock puck drop tonight for the Pontiacs vs Oilers. Then, a 5pm start on Saturday at the Calgary Canucks, and then a 2pm start at the Canmore Eagles.  

The last two home games for the Pontiacs are slated for Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9.

Those will be the Lakeland CO-OP game night December 8th & The Brick Teddy Bear Toss December 9th.

Att the Lakeland CO-OP game, there will be a donation table set up by the front gate for the Bonnyville Centralized High School’s Santa’s Elves Program where both toy and cash donations will be accepted.

At The Brick Teddy Bear Toss game December 9th, all teddy’s thrown onto the ice after the first Pontiacs goal will be donated to the Bonnyville Victim Services & Auxiliary Hospital and all proceeds from purchased teddy’s at the game will go to the Edmonton Stollery Hospital.

You can listen to every game, all season on lakelandconnect.net/pontiacs.