Waywayseecappo Wolverines defencemen Lucas Eagle wasn’t shy on how he felt after being picked over for the MJHL Showcase back in November.
“I thought that I should have been chosen for that first event, and disappointed that I wasn’t,” said Eagle.
The amount of players that did not make the MJHL Showcase that took place in Portage la Prairie back in November, but made the MJHL/SJHL Showcase that was held in Winnipeg, can be counted on one hand, but Eagle was one of them, making it on the Under-20 Team Black for the MJHL.
“Being invited to this event is a huge honour, and its nice to be recognized like that and able to showcase my skills.”
Eagle has come a long way since being acquired back in October of 2021 from the Estevan Bruins. The 20-year-old had turned into one of team’s top defencemen and could be considered the top shut down guy for the Wolverines this season.
A year after putting up 12 points in the 2021-22 season, Eagle has put up 20 points (1 goal, 19 assists) so far in 35 games. At one point this season, after the MJHL Showcase snub, he put up 11 points in 7 games, which included five two-point games.
“Ever since I wasn’t chosen, the points started racking up for me and I started dialling it in a little more, becoming a better player,” said Eagle
“The coaching staff of Taylor (Harnett) and Josh (Lee) have really helped me make a big improvement since I got here last year, because they believed in me and helped me so much since I arrived.”
Associate Coach Josh Lee says he has been able to see the difference this season from last.
“He is a strong presence in the room and he leads by example,” said Lee. “On the ice, he has really stabilized himself, will make a good first pass, and is great on the penalty kill and has learned how to be more efficient this season.”
During the two game run at the 2023 Showcase, Eagle helped Team Black put up a great defensive performance in the first game to help not only his team, but Wolverines goaltender Tresor Wotton to a 4-0 shutout victory over their SJHL counterparts. Game 2 was the other way around, with Team Black losing 6-0 to the SJHL squad.
“I’m not the type of guy that usually gets invited to these all-star events, but coming out here, it showed that I’m in the same boat as all these other guys, and it showed me that I belonged.”