Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 36

you watch the kid play, it’s
hard to wrap your head around
the fact that he didn’t play
a game of organized hockey
until he was 16-years-old
and never scored a goal in an
actual game with uniforms
and referees and a scoresheet
until Nov. 16, 2013.
“I just decided one day to try
out for the high school team
(W.C. Miller Collegiate Aces in
Altona),” said Bueckert, 20, who
grew up and still lives with his
parents, John and Sara, on the
family dairy farm in Gretna. “I’d
never played on a team before,
but I thought I’d give it a shot
and I guess I was good enough
because I made the team.”
In his first year, he had
seven goals and 14 points in
36 games. In his second year
(2014-15), he completely blew
up on offence. He had a goal
and four assists in the season
opener against Morris and
finished the year with 22 goals
and 51 points in 30 games. At
the time, he figured it was a
great way to finish a two-year
hockey “career.” High school
was over so he was probably
done with organized hockey.
It would likely be back to the
outdoor rinks and perhaps
a beer league game or two.
“But then I went to
University College of the
North in The Pas and a buddy
at school suggested to me that
I try out for the OCN Storm,
the Jr. B team up there,”
Bueckert said. “So I called
the coach and he gave me a
tryout and I made the team.”
There seems to be a theme
here. Nobody ever recruits
Tyrel Bueckert. He just
attends training camps and
plays well enough to impress
coaches and make teams.
He’s the ultimate walk on.
At OCN, he had an
outstanding season. He had 21
goals and 39 points in 31 games
on a good Jr. B hockey team,
but at the end of the school
year, he decided to head home
and take a job as a welder at the
John Deere plant in Altona. He
asked OCN for his release and
got it. At that point, he was
probably done with hockey.
“But then the next season
started to roll around so I called
(Warriors head coach and GM)
Ralph Collette in St. Malo,”
Bueckert said. “He told me,
‘Well, if you had a good year in
OCN, you can probably make
the Warriors,’ so he invited me
to try out and I made the team.”
In his first year in St. Malo
in 2016-17, he had 17 goals
and 38 points in 33 games
and helped the Warriors reach
the KJHL semifinals, where
they lost in seven thrilling
games to the eventual KJHL
champion Peguis Juniors.
This year, playing on a
line with two solid players
Haden Hildebrand and Robert
Guimond, he has been lights
out. He’s a top 20 scorer and
he’s even found time on the
side to play some Sr. A hockey
3 6 | G AME ON | R EGU L A R SEASON ED ITION 2018
“
I JUST
DECIDED ONE
DAY TO TRY
OUT FOR THE
HIGH SCHOOL
TEAM
”
with the Altona Maroons.
In five short seasons, Tyrel
Bueckert has gone from
milking the cows to making a
mark on Manitoba hockey.
“Yeah, I’m still a good
milker,” he said with a laugh. “I
still get up from time to time
and help my dad. My parents
own a market farm with dairy
cattle and a few feed lots. It’s
not really big, but I’m still living
at home. I love it at home.”
Senebald is thrilled that
Bueckert came home from
OCN and started playing for
the Warriors. He’s one of the
Warriors top players on one
of the Warriors Top 2 lines.
“He’s been having a great
season for us,” said the coach.
“He’s a 6-foot-3 power forward
who really has great hands.
It’s unbelievable that he never
started playing until Grade
11. He’s such an outstanding
kid and it’s great having him
in the room. We have a lot
of rookies this season and
he’s been terrific helping the
rookies prepare for this level
of play. He’s always positive
and we need that on a team
that’s kind of rebuilding (9-
7-3 at the Christmas break).
But we’re getting better and
Tyrel has played a big role
in our improvement.”
Bueckert doesn’t spend a
lot of time thinking about
his hockey future. He’ll play
this year and probably next
season with the Warriors
and likely continue to play
for the Altona Maroons. He’s
just living it day-to-day.
“I look back and I wish I’d
played Pee Wee and stuff when
I was younger,” he said. “I
probably missed a lot. But right
now I’m having a pretty good
time. I have great linemates and
playing for Ralph and Dennis
is pretty cool. I love hockey.
Right now, I’m just having fun.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if
the game was that simple
for everybody? ❍