Looks Like Lots of Penalties… Jr. B Canadiens Grind Through Hard-Nosed Weekend

The St. Paul Jr. B Canadiens didn’t get much handed to them this weekend — not on the scoreboard and certainly not at even strength.

Across two physical games against Wainwright and Vermilion, the Canadiens showed they could hang in tight contests, answer back on the power play, and stay competitive deep into games. What ultimately got in the way was discipline, momentum swings, and long stretches spent killing penalties instead of building flow.

Head Coach Harvey Smyl summed it up simply after the weekend: when the Canadiens were five-on-five and connected, they looked like the team they want to be. When penalties piled up, the game tilted quickly.

Friday: Canadiens Push Wainwright, Fall Just Short in 3–2 Loss

Friday night’s matchup with the Wainwright Bisons was a tight one right to the end.

St. Paul struck first late in the opening period when Jager Fontaine finished a play set up by Tayton Flett and Grady Blain, giving the Canadiens a 1–0 lead after twenty.

Wainwright responded midway through the first to tie things up, and then took a 2–1 lead early in the second on a power play goal. The Canadiens answered back less than a minute later, as Kolby Miller buried his seventh of the season off feeds from Flett and Gage Latimer, knotting the game at two.

That would be the last St. Paul goal of the night.

The Bisons found the eventual game-winner early in the third, and despite a push from the Canadiens — including ten shots in the final frame — St. Paul couldn’t find the equalizer.

Wainwright outshot St. Paul 28–20, while both teams struggled to capitalize on special teams. Discipline played a role, as the Canadiens took 14 penalty minutes and lost key momentum in the second period.

Saturday: Penalties Pile Up as Vermilion Pulls Away Late

If Friday was tight and structured, Saturday was chaotic.

The Canadiens fell 6–2 to the Vermilion Tigers in a game defined by special teams, misconduct, and long penalty sequences that disrupted any chance of rhythm.

Vermilion opened the scoring on the powerplay early in the first and added another in the second to take a 2–0 lead into the third. St. Paul stayed within reach, but the game broke open in the final period as Vermilion scored four times in just over fourteen minutes.

St. Paul did get on the board twice in the third, both on the powerplay. Quinn Szpak scored his 22nd of the season, followed by Ryan Weaver’s first, with Szpak and Blain picking up the assists.

Special teams were busy on both sides. The Canadiens went 2-for-11 on the power play, while Vermilion finished 1-for-8. The penalty totals, however, told the bigger story — 114 combined penalty minutes, including multiple misconducts and game misconducts that stretched the bench and forced constant lineup adjustments.

Despite the chaos, St. Paul continued to compete and generate chances, finishing with 21 shots on goal.

The Takeaway

The Jr. B Canadiens showed they can compete in tight games and answer adversity with effort and pushback. What held them back this weekend wasn’t a lack of skill or work ethic — it was time spent shorthanded, broken momentum, and too many moments where the game drifted away from five-on-five hockey.

For Coach Harvey Smyl and his staff, the message from the weekend is clear: tighten discipline, stay connected, and let the game breathe.

Because when the Canadiens get that chance, they’ve proven they belong right there.

Back at Home, Then Back on the Bus: Canadiens Look to Reset This Weekend

After a physical, penalty-heavy weekend, the St. Paul Canadiens won’t have much time to sit on it — and that might be exactly what they need.

The Canadiens return to action with a home-and-away set that starts Friday night at the Clancy Richard Arena before heading north to Lloydminster on Saturday.

For Head Coach Harvey Smyl, the focus is simple: reset, clean things up, and get back to playing Canadiens hockey.

 

 

Friday, January 16 – Vegreville Comes to Town

📍 St. Paul Clancy Richard Arena
🕗 8:00 PM MT

Friday night gives St. Paul a chance to respond in front of the home crowd, as the Vegreville Rangers roll into town.

The message for the Canadiens will be about pace and discipline. When St. Paul plays with speed and stays five-on-five, they’ve shown they can dictate play. The challenge will be managing emotions early, establishing structure, and letting the game come to them.

With points on the line and no shortage of familiarity between the two teams, expect a physical, playoff-style atmosphere.

Saturday, January 17 – Tough Test in Lloydminster

📍 Cenovus Energy Hub
🕢 7:30 PM MT

Saturday sends the Canadiens on the road to face the Lloydminster Bandits, a building that doesn’t give much away easily.

Back-to-back games always test depth, discipline, and details. Line changes, puck management, and staying out of extended penalty kills will be critical against a Bandits team that capitalises on mistakes.

For St. Paul, it’s another opportunity to show growth — not just on the scoreboard, but in how they manage a full sixty minutes.