Lethbridge United kicks off inaugural season

By Lethbridge Herald on September 26, 2022.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge United U18 hockey team is playing its inaugural season in the Junior Prospects Hockey League this year.

The JPHL consists of a team at the U14, U15 and U18 levels and has partnered with Power Edge Pro to deliver a borderless and academy-based platform for those players that have aspiration to play at the next level.

Lethbridge only has a U18 program.

The idea came about to start a team in Lethbridge after Wade Klippenstein and other hockey people saw a void in the city.

“They  felt there was a void here in regards to some development and academy type things,” said Ed Zawatsky, United U18  head coach.

“As you know, academy  kind has been the trend lately and they felt that there was enough numbers or enough pool of kids that would make it work.”

The JPHL works off of a HUB system that brings together academic components in B.C. and Alberta, as well as focusing on the highest level of player development without arbitrary limitations.

“What it is, is  a variety of hubs, there’s eight hubs in the U18 division throughout Alberta and British Columbia,” said Zawatsky.

“The organizers are out of Edmonton and our hub manager is Wade Klippenstein, which you guys are probably familiar with. I have a connection with Wade over the years in hockey and I was fortunate enough that he asked me to come on as the coach of this first team. I’m looking forward to it, it’s all pretty new, but we’ve kind of been add it  since Aug. 31 when school started because we’re directly tied with the school here.”

The academy-based team is housed at Catholic Central High School and players are in a 10-month program from September to June and play in showcases until mid-March.

“We’re on the ice daily with an hour-and-a-half of ice time and we do an hour of off ice with some mental training also involved,” said Zawatsky.

The United have 20 guys that are committed.

“They’ve been working extremely hard,” said Zawatsky.

“I would say right now they’re a real hardworking group and I expect the league to be much the same.”

Teams play every second weekend in showcases.

“And the advantage of the showcases is that the  scouts are going to be able to watch the whole league on a  weekend which is ideal for exposure in that sense,” he said.

The United’s went 2-2 over the weekend at their first showcase in Edmonton.

There are  no showcases in Lethbridge this season.

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