Brothers of Sault College

There will be a brother act among the brotherhood of players on the 2023-2024 edition of the Sault College Cougars varsity men’s hockey team. Following the earlier commitment of 21-year old defenseman Jackson Jacques, 19-year old forward Jeremiah Jacques will line up with his older brother at Sault College this coming season.

Jackson, a smooth skating, free wheeling, right-hand shooting defender, is fresh from a splendid two full seasons of junior hockey performance. He spent the 2021-2022 season in the Superior International Jr. Hockey League with the Dryden Ice Dogs and, playoffs included, the 5-foot-11, 195 pound Jacques produced five goals, 33 assists, 38 points in 61 games.

The brothers, who hail from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Griswold, Manitoba, both began the 2022-2023 season in the SIJHL with Dryden. Jackson had five assists in six games before opting to leave the Ice Dogs with Jeremiah for the Peguis Juniors of the Manitoba-based Keystone Jr. Hockey League. And both lit it up with Peguis.

Jackson totalled 16 goals, 42 assists, 58 points in 34 games from his defense post. Meanwhile, Jeremiah, who had a goal and an assist in four games with Dryden, became a feared forward of force with 29 goals, 25 assists, 54 points in 32 outings for Peguis.

It was Sault College head scout Charly Murray who recruited the brothers to attend the Cougars early June spring skate tryout camp and made them both aware of the number of programs available at Sault College.

“Jackson is such a pure talent,” Murray relayed to Hockey News North. “This is a young man who was a standout in junior hockey … and I have absolutely no that doubt that Jackson will be a standout with us in the ACHA.”

And Jeremiah, who is bigger than Jackson at 6 feet, 205 pounds, is no slouch either.

“Jeremiah is a different player than his brother. He has good size and the ability to see the ice really well at his forward position,” noted Murray.

And Tanner Burton, who is the new head of the Sault College men, had plenty good to say about both brothers when asked by Hockey News North. 

“Jackson brings a solid two way presence to our blue line,” Burton began. “He is calm with the puck, walks the blue line well, and makes a great first pass. Not only is Jackson a great addition to our hockey team, he is a very well spoken, polite young man, and we believe he will be a great ambassador of Sault Collège.”

As for Jeremiah, Burton noted that “he is a young forward who shows great offensive skill. He sees the ice well and makes good plays entering the offensive zone. We are excited to see what Jeremiah can do in his first year at Sault College.”

School wise, Jackson is enrolled in the Motive Power Technician program at Sault College beginning with the fall semester while Jeremiah plans to study Sports Administration.

Besides the Jacques brothers, other newcomers to the Cougars men’s program for the upcoming season include several with a junior A hockey background — forward/defenseman Mason Wesley and forwards Michael Chaffay, Ethan Novello, Kaden Laverdiere and Dylan Winsor.

Wesley (Thunder Bay North Stars) and Winsor (Thunder Bay North Stars and Dryden Ice Dogs) are formerly of the aforementioned Superior International Jr. Hockey League while Chaffay (Soo Thunderbirds), Novello (Soo Thunderbirds) and Laverdiere (Sudbury Cubs) are all alumni of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. 

In the meantime, among the skaters with a prior junior hockey background and participation who are poised to return to the Cougars for the ’23-24 season are steady defensemen Chase Muswagon (Dryden Ice Dogs, SIJHL) and Jordan Ritchie (Espanola Paper Kings, NOJHL) and high performance forwards Caleb Wood (Soo Eagles and Soo Thunderbirds, NOJHL) and Ethan Esposito (Kemptvile 73s of the Central Canada Hockey League and Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League.) Wood, as team captain, led Sault College in scoring during the ’22-23 season and Esposito was close behind. 

To be sure, with a number of player signings still ahead, the ’23-24 season looms as a fresh start for the Cougars, who overcame a slow beginning to the ’22-23 campaign by finishing with an overall record of 13-12-1 among Division 2, ACHA competition. And Murray as the head scout, sees a big season ahead for the Sault College men.

“I think the tryout camp and the intensity surprised a number of our prospects and when we reconvene later this summer after they’ve followed Coach Burton’s regime for their summer, it will be an even better roster, which I fine hard to imagine but it will be true,” Murray said evenly. “This roster is an excellent collection of student-athletes which will make the college proud both athletically and educational. We have a great hockey staff and my excellent northwestern Ontario scout Don Smith has made the dreams come true for this roster. ACHA D-2 National Championship beware, the Canucks are coming!”