
Joey Kubas has been one of the top prospects for the Dauphin Kings for a few years.
Joey signed his Letter of Intent with the Kings two years ago after fall camp and officially committed to the program during the fall of 2023. Once completing his final year of high school at Bloomington Jefferson High last year, where he had nine goals and 21 points in 26 games, Kubas changed his goals from just competing at camp to making the roster.
Kubas achieved that goal as he was named to the team's opening-day roster and made his Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) debut on September 21, 2024. He finished with four penalty minutes as Dauphin completed an opening weekend sweep over the Virden Oil Capitals with a 4-2 win in front of more than 1100 fans at Credit Union Place.
Six days later, Kubas was back in the lineup as Dauphin made their way to Neepawa to play the Titans. Tied at one early in the second period, Kubas scored his first goal as a King just more than seven minutes into the frame. It was his first and the goal stood up as the game-winner as Dauphin held off the Titans, 4-1.
"That was a fun one and a big goal for the team. It's always more enjoyable when it's a big goal for the team," said Kubas. "It was a goal that I'll never forget, a pretty special moment for my family and me."
Joey scored his second goal as a King just a few weeks later as a part of a two-point performance against Waywayseecappo on November 13 and his third goal as a King came last weekend. In a 13-3 drubbing of the Winnipeg Freeze, Kubas had one goal and one assist.
It was Dauphin's biggest victory of the season.
"We were firing on all cylinders, it was a good way to get going here in the second half," continued Kubas.
34 games into the team's 58-game schedule and the Kings are sitting on top of the MGEU West Division. At 24-9-1, the Kings have a two-point lead over the Northern Manitoba Blizzard, with three games in hand. Dauphin heads south to play the Winkler Flyers on Friday night, a game you can hear on 730CKDM with Darnell Duff, opening with the Parkland Source for Sports pregame show at 7:20.
Dauphin has scored 18 goals in their last two games and is just seven points behind Winkler and Steinbach for first overall. They have one game in hand on the Flyers and two in hand on Steinbach.
"We have a special group this year, we're very tight in the locker room, everyone enjoys each other's company," offered Kubas. "We're a deep group. We roll all lines from top to bottom and have two very good goaltenders. We also have coaches who believe in us and know we are capable of winning every night."
Regarding the coaching staff, the team welcomed back Doug Hedley earlier this week. After serving an eight-game suspension, Hedley was on the ice for practice on Wednesday and will be behind the bench on Friday when Dauphin plays the Flyers. It will be a boost for a team that plays the defending champions.
"It's great to have him back and his presence," commented Kubas. "It's time to get rolling and build a winning streak."
While Joey is thriving and putting together an excellent rookie season, his best friend hasn't missed a second of the action and is also a part of the organization. Joey's dad, Andy is the team's assistant general manager and Northern USA Scout.
Andy has made many trips to Dauphin over the years and the bond that the dynamic duo share is near and dear to Joey's heart.
"He's my best friend, we do everything together. We play golf every day in the summer and we're always hanging out," said Kubas. "We're big hockey nerds so we love diving deep into stats and things like that."
Joey also said his game is improving on the course and he's starting to beat his dad. The first-year King is also very close with his younger brother, sister, and mom.
"We're a very close family, they mean everything to me, I'm very lucky to have them by my side," continued Kubas.
You can hear Joey's full chat with Darnell Duff during the team's power play show after the 4:00 p.m. news, weather, business, and sports on Friday.
Get to Know Kubas:
What are some of your hobbies? I'm a huge nerd, I love old history stuff and little stats. I love music, I love finding new music and listening.
Who is your favourite NHL team? My dad says I was named after Joe Sakic. I've been a Colorado Avalanche for as long as I can remember.
What is your favourite hockey memory? I know it sounds cliche, but just the day-in and day-out grind of being at the rink. Just coming to the rink is my favourite.
Are you superstitious? Way too much. On game days, my whole day is planned out from the moment I wake up. It just makes me feel like I'm ready to go.
What is one of your favourite childhood memories? Playing golf with my dad and brother is always an amazing experience.
What is your go-to meal? I would say pasta and chicken, it's one of the few things I can cook and I do a pretty good job at it.
Who is your favourite player? Matt Duchene. He has been my favourite player since I was a kid.