“Ben got in a very serious car accident and he’s lucky to be here,” noted U of S men’s hockey coach Brandin Cote.
Article content
Ben Tkachuk feels blessed just to be alive, let alone playing hockey.
The second-year University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey forward was involved in a head-on car collision early in the summer.
His hockey future was cloudy and uncertain at first, but Tkachuk was determined to get back in the lineup for the start of the new U Sports season.
That he did.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Not only did he play in the Huskies’ Canada West conference season-opener this past weekend, Tkachuk scored the opening goal against the University of Regina Cougars to kick-start the Dogs and their season.
“Ben got in a very serious car accident and he’s lucky to be here,” points out U of S men’s hockey coach Brandin Cote. “We didn’t know when he’d be back, but he’s worked so hard to get back into the lineup … So that was a pretty cool moment for him to score that first goal.”
The crash happened near Maidstone at the end of June.
“It was an unfortunate situation,” recalls Tkachuk, who was the solo occupant in his car. “I got in a head-on car crash back on June 23 with a drunk driver. I was fortunate enough not to have any passengers and feel super blessed to walk out of there with only a broken ankle. Lots of stitches and striations, but I was lucky. I stayed conscious the whole time. Some guy came and helped me out of the vehicle. The rest is history now.
“It was a really tough situation for my family. Just to be here right now, and be able to walk, let along be able to play hockey, is a bit emotional. Obviously my first game was super special. Everything is super special now. I’m just super grateful to be with the guys, see their faces every day and spend time with them. It’s special and it’s something I look forward to for the next four years.”
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Tkachuk joined the Huskies last season from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Melfort Mustangs. On a U of S team that is largely dependant on Western Hockey League grads, Tkachuk has been able to find a supporting role with the perennial Canada West men’s hockey contender.
“He’s the definition of a ‘glue guy,’ ” points out Cote.
Tkachuk scored three goals and six assists for nine points in 26 games as a rookie with the Dogs, but his contribution isn’t measured on the score sheet.
“He just pulls people into the fight,” says Cote. “I knew he was going to be that way. He knew he was going to be a guy who was going to surprise some people. He was a very good player in Melfort, a leader. No one could say anything (bad). He’s one of the best kids you can ever meet and just has a real good head on his shoulders, a real good family and he’s humble and laid-back in just how he approaches things, a ‘yes and no, sir.’ He’s an academic all-Canadian.
“There’s nothing bad you can say about the kid. He’s a guy who will just continue to prove people wrong and that’s sort of his mentality. Even coming back from his injuries and things he went through, even myself, I was hoping — but I wasn’t thinking he’d be back to the level that he is, as soon as he is. That’s just a credit to his character.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
Tkachuk had 16 goals and 40 assists for 56 points, plus 107 penalty minutes, in 45 games during his final year with the SJHL’s Mustangs. He spent four years in Melfort after joining the team from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Spruce Grove Saints.
Although originally from Gronlid, which is located between Melfort and Nipawin, Tkachuk played his minor hockey in Strathcona and under-18 AAA in Sherwood Park.
His dad, Kelly Tkachuk, played in the SJHL with the North Battleford North Stars, Melville Millionaires and Melfort, where the Gronlid product served as captain before moving on to play at Bemidji State University.
The younger Tkachuk has found a way to stay in the Huskies’ lineup, even when there’s an excess of healthy bodies up front.
The 5-foot-11 Tkachuk skates well and he’s a tenacious checker.
“He’s very versatile,” points out Cote. “He can kill penalties. He’s going to provide offence. He’ll find ways to score. He’s a smart player so I can play him at either wing or center. He wins face-offs.
“He’s just very valuable. He’s a Swiss Army Knife for us. When you’re looking at those things, he’s not the biggest guy but he’s very physically engaged and just does whatever we ask of him. So those type of guys, you can’t have enough of. He just finds ways to not let you take him out.”
Advertisement 5
Article content
Saskatchewan (2-0) returns to Canada West action this weekend on the road to Calgary where the Huskies will face the 2024 Canada West finalist University of Calgary Dinos (2-0) on Friday and Saturday.
On the Thanksgiving long weekend, Tkachuk, for one, will be counting his blessings.
“I just feel blessed to be here right now,” says Tkachuk, who turned 22 in late September. “I’m just super grateful to be here with this group of guys and I have a little bit of a different outlook on things … It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to this year.”
INJURY-RIDDLED START
Even with his comeback, the Dogs are off to a bit of an injury-riddled start. They began the season without captain Justin Ball and Ty Prefontaine, and then lost Liam Keeler, Vince Loschiavo, Keaton Sorensen and Rhett Rhinehart to injury.
“It could be better,” admits Cote. “Justin Ball’s still out — he’ll be out for the foreseeable future here. He had a high ankle sprain at practice last week. That one will just have to be one we have to wait on.
“Liam Keeler (upper body) will still be out this weekend. He’ll be back next weekend. Vinny will be ready to play. Sorensen will be probable. Rhinehart will be probable for Friday, likely for Saturday.
Advertisement 6
Article content
“Prefontaine will be good to go.”
Recommended from Editorial
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content
