CANMORE – Rhett Dekowny does it all for the Canmore Eagles and the league took notice.
Nearly doubling his total points in January, the 20-year-old captain was awarded the AJHL’s player of the month while leading the junior A hockey club to the top of the standings this season.
“For me, it’s just been my consistent game throughout the whole year,” said Dekowny. “[I’m] just trying to be even-keeled, consistent and my linemates help a lot and it’s easy to play with them so they make it real easy for me.”
The product of Swift Current, Sask., scored seven goals and 20 points through nine games, averaging roughly two points per game, and has become a top-three scorer in the league with 21 goals and 51 points.
His power play points also doubled in January from four to eight as he played on the man-up and man-down special teams.
“The puck was just bouncing for me and I was in the right spots at the right time,” he said.
A fight-for-every-puck kind of player, the forward helped take the team to a 7-1-1 record last month. The Eagles have been atop of the standings for most of the season under the first-year captain’s on-ice leadership despite some turbulence inside the locker room, with players defecting to different leagues, and outside factors such as the NCAA allowing major junior players in their ranks starting this year.
Dekowny started with the club in 2022-23, playing one season in Canmore alongside older brother Riley.
Now in his third season with 157 games in an Eagles sweater, Dekowny is looked at as the guy who “does everything” on the ice.
“Rhett’s a hard worker,” said Eagles head coach and general manager Andrew Milne. “He’s committed to playing the right way. … He’s definitely doing everything a captain has to do to help a team be successful.
“His experience is showing.”
