ESTEVAN — Noah Asmundson has been a big part of the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins’ success this season, and it extends beyond his power-play prowess.
The White City product currently leads the SJHL in power-play goals with 10, skating on the Bruins’ first unit with high-scoring forwards Ewan Rennie and Rylan Williams.
But he also plays against the opposition’s top line and takes key faceoffs. And he entered the Christmas break with 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 30 games.
After wrapping up his minor hockey career with the Regina Pat Canadians U18 AAA program, Asmundson bounced around. He skated for the Humboldt Broncos, then went to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Niverville Nighthawks and the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Columbia Valley Rockies before joining the Bruins for his final junior season.
Playing in Estevan has been a great experience, he said.
“My billets have been really good as well, and Drew (head coach/GM Drew Kocur), Tucker (assistant coach Tucker Neuberger) and Millsy (assistant coach Aren Miller) as coaches have been very good. We’ve had a good group,” said Asmundson.
“We’ve, I’d say, probably exceeded expectation from what we had at the start of the season, and we’ve had a pretty good first half.”
But being a part of the team, he said he sees how good the players are.
“We’re doing stuff that we know we can, and we can still do a lot better,” Asmundson said.
His production on the man advantage comes as a surprise – Asmundson said he wouldn’t have expected to be so high up on the leaders’ list, and he’s quick to credit his teammates. He’s not surprised with his success on face-offs.
“The last two years of junior, I played wing, but I’ve still taken lots of draws. It’s something that I usually work on quite a bit, actually, and I take a lot of pride in because it’s a big part of the game that sometimes does get overlooked. Being able to start with possession is huge.”
Asmundson is pleased to be playing hockey back in Saskatchewan. His parents make it to almost every game and he has family scattered around the province, so he has other people rooting for him from the stands.
Bruins head coach/GM Drew Kocur said Asmundson is a player Kocur has known for a lot of years through summer camps and Asmundson’s time with the Pat Canadians.
“I always knew Noah would be a late bloomer, so to speak, and it’s paying dividends now,” said Kocur. “He knows how to score. He has a big frame, moves well, is a great teammate, and he’s been a huge, huge boost for our team this year.”
And while he’s been a big part of the power play’s success, Kocur noted Asmundson logs big minutes against the opposition’s top line.
The Bruins wrapped up the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule Dec. 20 in a 5-2 loss to the Yorkton Terriers. Yorkton scored three times in a 2:18 span of the second period to blow open a 2-0 game. Asmundson and Chase Holt had the Estevan goals.
Goalie Nathan Kam made 21 saves on 26 shots. Dylan Adams came on in relief and stopped all 16 shots he faced.
Former Estevan U18 AAA Bears’ forward Jye Zawatsky had a goal and two assists for Yorkton.
The Bruins (17-10-2-1) will return to the ice when they host the Weyburn Red Wings on Jan. 3, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Affinity Place. Then they will visit the Wings the following afternoon.
