Christmas came early for Evan Warmington.
The 17-year-old St. Albert product got his present early when he cracked the line-up of the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Spruce Grove Saints in training camp.
“My goal was to make a junior team this year and I did,” Warmington said. “It’s pretty exciting to be part of a winning franchise. It’s a good organization. Hopefully we can continue to win and win. It would be nice to win a championship at the end of the year.”
In 23 games the former midget AAA St. Albert Raider has three goals, seven assists and 67 penalty minutes with the 18-1-4 Saints.
“I’m very happy how it’s going so far. I’m getting a lot of ice time. Hopefully it continues.”
Warmington’s first AJHL goal was the overtime winner against the Drumheller Dragons on Sept. 16.
“It was my second game so that was pretty cool,” he said. “It was in overtime with two minutes left and I went to wrap it and the goalie [James D’Andrea] saved it. The rebound popped out and I got it and put it in for the 3-2 win.”
The six-foot-one, 205-pound skater described himself as a power forward. Last season with the Raiders he scored seven goals and added five assists in 33 games while racking up 91 penalty minutes.
“My role is more like a physical guy who can bring offence and good defence.”
Normally a left-winger, Warmington has filled a hole at centre for the Saints.
“I haven’t played centre since peewee so it’s been a big jump, but I’m getting used to it.”
He credits the Raiders’ coaching tandem of Sandro Pisani and Geoff Giacobbo for transforming him into a junior-calibre player.
“They’re good coaches. They prepared me well to play junior so I thank them for that,” he said. “The biggest adjustment is the speed. It’s a lot faster so you’ve got to adjust to that. The guys are a lot stronger too.”
Warmington is constantly working on his game with the Saints.
“You get in a lot of practices and games so you get a lot stronger and you get used to the pace out there,” he said. “I definitely want to improve my skating and get faster, like my first three strides for acceleration.”
The Grade 12 St. Albert Catholic High School student is not the only athlete in the Warmington family. His twin sister, Hayley, played for the 3A provincial basketball gold-medal winning Skyhawks last season.
“I was born 28 minutes before her, but I like to round it up to 30 minutes when I tell people.”
ICE CHIPS: Warmington is one of five former Raiders on the Saints’ roster. Defenceman Matt Benning (2-6-8 in 14 games) and forwards Carson Samoridny (9-2-11 in 15 games), Dustin Beairsto (1-2-3 in eight games) and Brady Goebel (two assists in 12 games) have also contributed to the team’s success.
Benning and Samoridny were named to the Team West roster for the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s prospects games this weekend in Langley, B.C.
In Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the St. Albert Steel at Performance Arena, Benning didn’t dress because of a lower body injury and Samoridny was a Western Hockey League call up by the Everett Silvertips.
