Kaden Bryant got off to a slow start this season with the Kings as the 20-year-old returned to Dauphin for his final junior season.
In the first two games of the season against Neepawa as Dauphin earned a split, the sniper failed to hit the scoresheet.
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t frustrating,” said Bryant. “With that said, it’s not something I lost sleep about. I just refocused and put my focus on moving ahead.”
Motivated and determined to get on the scoresheet during week two of the MJHL season, Bryant certainly did that and ended up racking up a fantastic weekend. Kaden scored his first goal of the season last Friday in what turned out to be a 5-2 win against Neepawa. Then one night later, the Kaden Bryant show had arrived as he took over scoring three times, to record his first hat-trick of the season.
He also had one assist in a 6-3 win as Bryant now is tied with Colby Jaquet for the most points on the team with six. And most importantly, Dauphin secured a perfect weekend winning both of the contests.
“It felt really good to get on the scoresheet. It was a night and day change from our opening weekend,” said Bryant. “Going from scoring two goals in two games to 11 in two, that was great to see. I couldn’t have had that success without my great teammates, I’m just happy to help.”
Kaden played eight games with Dauphin in the 2019-20 season and another two last year in a shortened season, one that Dauphin only played six games.
This year, Kaden has played in all four of the team’s contests. And in three of them, he’s played in front of a goaltender that he’s played with in the past. Carson Cherepak was acquired right prior to Dauphin’s season opener against Neepawa and he made his debut with Dauphin one night later, when he made 45 saves in a 1-0 win.
Cherepak is a former two-time goaltender of the year in the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League when he was a member of the Winnipeg Wild when he won 30 games combined between the regular season and playoffs in the 2018-19 season. In that same season, Bryant was busy recording a 108 point season with the Wild. After going their separate ways, Cherepak and Bryant have now reunited in Dauphin.
“It was unexpected when I heard he was coming here and when I found it, I was very happy,” said Bryant. “He was our rock with the Wild and he’s been great here in Dauphin as well. It’s great to have him here.”
Get to know Bryant:
Q: Who are your favourite professional sports teams? Tampa Bay Lightning, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia 76ers.
Q: What are your favourite hobbies? Basketball for sure. I grew up in a basketball household and it’s always been a part of me. I spent much of my free time either playing pickup or shooting on my driveway.
Q: Go to cheat meal? Without a doubt, McDonald’s!
Q: If you could go on holiday anywhere, where would it be? Ibiza. I would love to go to Europe as a whole but the energy of Ibiza looks unmatched.
Kaden is also a huge Duke Blue Devils fan. And if you’re wondering where is Ibiza, it’s a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain. It is 150 kilometres from the city of Valencia.
Bryant and the rest of the Kings will hit the road on Friday afternoon as they make their first trip to The Pas to play the OCN Blizzard. You can hear Kaden’s full interview with Darnell Duff during the Kings Power Play Show after 4:00 p.m. NewsNow on 730CKDM on Friday afternoon!