Local defenceman Kian Calder is excelling in Estevan. The 19-year-old was traded to the SJHL's Estevan Bruins, very early in the season, after playing just six games for his hometown Portage Terriers. Calder says the atmosphere was electric in those few games he played at Stride, and notes, that's something he'll always remember.

"The most enjoyable thing was the atmosphere there. I think a lot of people were happy to be back at the rink," says Calder. "We had some good turnouts while I was there. Obviously, Blake (Spiller) is also a great coach, so it's always enjoyable playing for him too."

The defenceman says he was very fond of the group they had in Portage and adds it was fairly hard to say goodbye to the group, however, he is extremely happy to be with the Bruins. Calder says, despite fitting in very well at the moment, the transition was quite difficult initially.

"It was a quick turnaround. I got traded on a Thursday, and I was in the lineup here on the Friday," Calder explains. "So, the hardest part was just getting used to all the new systems, but my billets are great, my coaches are great, and my teammates are great. Everyone has made it as easy as possible to transition."

Since heading to Estevan in October, Calder has scored five goals and dished out 18 assists for 23 points in 28 games of action. He says it's easy to play your game when you have so many great players around you.

"There's a lot of great players on this team, and I just try to do whatever I can to help," Calder continues. "I try to produce offensively, but I have a mindset that keeps defence first, so I've been trying to take care of my own zone before I have fun in the offensive zone."

Not only has Calder put up individual numbers, but he has also helped the team win games as the Bruins hold a record of 24-7-2, which is the second-best record in the entire league. The defenceman says sticking to the game plan will be the best way to continue their winning ways in 2022.

"It's worked so far, and I think it is going to be a big factor going into the home stretch here and into the playoffs," Calder explains. "We have a good forward group in Mark Rumsey, Olivier Pouliot, and those guys. They are really good players. Everybody can contribute, so I think if guys stick to their roles and do what they're supposed to do, we'll be good to go."

Estevan is set to host the upcoming Centennial Cup Tournament in 2022, which means the Bruins will take part no matter how they finish in the postseason. Calder describes his excitement knowing he'll have an opportunity to play on a very big stage at the end of the season.

"It's not often that someone gets an opportunity host, so you have to buy in all the way to the tournament. You still want to win though, so you have to take things one game at a time," says Calder. "You know you're getting into the tournament, but you still want to win the league championship, and you still want to win the ANAVET Cup. So, you have got to take it one day at a time, and one game at a time. That's the mindset we're going to have."

The local defenceman says he plans to make the most of his 2022 as next year will be his final season of junior hockey and he wants to put his best foot forward leading into that.