Durability and consistency are two words that can be used to describe Owen Wareham of the Dauphin Kings.
From Rivers, the 20-year-old is in his final season with the only junior team he has ever played with and with that, Friday is the final time he will play in game one of a first-round series in the league.
Wareham has suited up in 117 regular season games with Dauphin and 18 playoff games after the Kings went on to win the league title last season. This year, Wareham played in all 58 games with Dauphin, something that no one else on the team has done. Whether it’s in practice or in a game, Wareham gives it everything he has and he had this to say on his time with the Kings.
“It’s been so much fun here, I am so glad that I have been able to spend my junior career here,” said Wareham. “Winning that league title last year, you can’t ask for anything else and we’re looking to make it happen again this year.”
Wareham also posted a career-high in points this year. After a 22-point season last year when he was an integral part of the team’s roster, Wareham scored eight times in the regular season while adding 29 assists this year. Owen did also score twice and added six assists in the playoffs last year.
In his final year as a King, Owen also takes great pride in being the team’s captain.
“It’s definitely an honour, I was able to learn a lot from Parker Malchuk last year and Grady Hobbs before that,” said Wareham. “I’m trying to pass down what I have learned in past years.”
Dauphin finished 32-21-3-2 in the regular season which saw them earn the final playoff spot in the West Division by six points over Waywayseecappo. Dauphin won five of their last six games and they earned points in their final six. A highlight of the regular season saw Dauphin beat the Portage Terriers four times in as many games. The Terriers finished first in the East Division and MJHL, respectively.
“I was lucky enough to stay healthy for the whole season which was great,” offered Wareham. “We have a great group of guys so to be able to go to war with them every night has been a lot of fun.”
With their fourth-place finish in the division, Dauphin will now battle the Swan Valley Stampeders, a team that Dauphin beat four times in the regular season. It’s an all-Parkland battle and it is one of the biggest rivalries in the MJHL. The two teams also played in the first round last year. The Stamps’ are led by their first line of Jakob Jones, Trey Sauder, Justin Keck, and their all-star goaltender in Kobe Grant.
“We’re very excited about this series,” said Wareham. “We know we can beat them so it’s just about getting down to business and getting it done.”
