Saurette’s swan song
Fifth-year forward brings toughness, talent and leadership to Bison hockey squad
Regan Sarmatiuk, Staff
Photo by Doug Engstrom
Although it appeared over the summer as though Kevin Saurette would not be returning to the Bison men’s hockey team for the 2005-06 season, the talented fifth-year forward is back, much to the delight of head coach Mike Sirant.
“We’re really glad that Kevin came back to play his fifth year — he had several professional hockey options and he decided to come back and help us return to the nationals, and for that, we’re very appreciative of Kevin’s loyalty to our program,” said Sirant recently.
Saurette, an environment student who grew up in Brandon, Man., is optimistic about the potential of this year’s relatively young Bison squad and happy to be back at the U of M.
“I kind of thought last year would be my swan song . . . so it was a little tough to come back and to get myself motivated, but now I’m really into it; I’m glad I’m back and I’m just looking forward to each weekend,” said Saurette recently.
Saurette played over two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats before eventually moving on to the Bisons. He attended a two-week camp with the Los Angeles Kings over the summer, and the option to play in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) was there, but he chose to return to the U of M instead.
“With the [ECHL], I figured that it would be there next year and I had a few more classes left to graduate, so I made the decision to come back, graduate, get my degree and then turn pro next year when that’s done,” explained Saurette.
It’s no wonder that Sirant is happy to have the veteran winger back — Saurette has had a highly successful Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) career. In 2001-02, his rookie season, Saurette led the Canada West conference in rookie scoring (11 goals and 14 assists in 28 games) and was named to the CIS and Canada West All-Freshmen Teams. Last season, he finished fifth in conference scoring (11g and 23a in 25 games) and was named as a Canada West Second Team All-Star.
This season, Saurette, who was named as a co-captain of the Bisons along with linemate Paul Deniset, was selected as the CIS Male Athlete of the Week after registering two goals and six assists in a two-game series versus the UBC Thunderbirds on Oct. 7 and 8. He currently sits at fourth in conference scoring despite missing two games due to some nagging injuries.
“One thing that impresses me about Kevin is his passion for the game and his commitment. He’s been playing through injuries all season, and he still performs and gets the job done, and that’s a testimony to his passion and his toughness,” said Sirant.
“He’s a tough physical player who can deliver some outstanding body checks . . . of course, most people will recognize his offensive abilities based on his statistics, but when you watch Kevin play, you also realize that he’s a very complete player because of his defensive strength and physical play.”
Sirant also noted that Saurette brings a wealth of leadership to the team.
“In the dressing room, he’s a very competitive person — he’s here to win and he’s very demanding of himself and his teammates, but he leads by example.”
Saurette said that sharing the “C” with Deniset, who has been out with injuries so far this season, is a very natural fit.
“Paul and I have been on the same line for the last three years, and we room together on all the road trips, and we basically work as a unit anyways, so I think it’s really good that we’re both co-captains,” said Saurette. “I think it’s going to work out well, especially when he gets back. It’ll be nice for his leadership to be back in the dressing room.”
Saurette is certain that he wants to continue playing hockey once his university career is over, although he’s not sure exactly where it will take him.
“I’m definitely going to explore my options about pro [next year], either in the States if I can get a good tryout or I’ll see what’s out in Europe. I definitely want to play hockey for another few years and see if I can make a go at it, make some money, and if not, then I’ll deal with that later, I guess.”
While his future is unknown, Saurette is happy to be playing for the Bisons in the present. “To be playing hockey at one of the highest amateur levels in Canada and getting a degree is really great, and I’m glad that it’s worked out this way.”
