The newest Saskatoon Blades addition — a 2006-born defenceman acquired from the Everett Silvertips — impressed the Blades brass with his speed. He is expected to make his debut Saturday night when the Blades host the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Cameron Sytsma flew into Saskatoon late Wednesday night, then promptly flew around on the SaskTel ice the very next morning.
The newest Saskatoon Blades addition — a 2006-born defenceman acquired from the Everett Silvertips — impressed the Blades brass with his speed. He is expected to make his debut Saturday night when the Blades host the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Game-time is 7 p.m. at SaskTel Centre.
“You notice his skating right away, which is big for me — I’m a big fan of guys who can move on the ice,” said Blades head coach Dan DaSilva.
“I think that, with the way the game is going and has been going for a few years, you’ve got to be able to skate, first and foremost, and that’s the first thing you notice. He made a really good first pass (Thursday) as well. He was really zipping the puck. So a good first day. We’ll get him up to speed on systems stuff here. That takes time, too, but a good first impression and good first day.”
Sytsma, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound product of Surrey, B.C., has played 101 regular-season games in the Western Hockey League but has yet to score a goal.
He admits that he was caught off guard Tuesday when he learned about the trade.
“It’s been a tough last 24 hours, just being notified that I was leaving Everett and getting over here quickly, but I’m excited to be here and start the season with a new group of guys and new coaches,” Sytsma said Thursday after his first practice with his new team. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Sytsma said he didn’t know a whole lot about the Blades prior to the trade, but he’s familiar with at least two of his newest teammates.
“I was here my 16-year-old season,” he recalled. “We played one game on our road trip. Obviously their rink’s amazing. I’m just looking forward to it.
“I played with (Evan) Gardner, the goalie, three or four years ago on Team B.C., so I know him pretty well. Also I grew up playing against (defenceman) Jordan Martin, so I know him a bit.”
He admits that it was “a pretty tough Tuesday morning,” emotionally, after practice “just talking with the coaches and they said they were sending me over here for the better of me and obviously nothing but respect for the (Everett) coaches and the players there and obviously it’s pretty tough leaving there.”
He promptly headed home to Surrey and spent the day with his family “and just talked things over” before heading out east to Saskatchewan.
“I took a flight here and just couldn’t get here any quicker and I was just super happy to be here.”
It’s a new opportunity on a team with a relatively young defensive corps.
“Obviously, nothing’s given,” noted Sytsma. “I’ve got to earn my spot but I’m just looking to be a leader here and doing whatever I can to help the team.
“I think I’m just a good two-way, puck-moving defenceman. I like to get the puck moving north and jumping the rush, and at the end of the day, I just want to help the team with whatever they need me to do.”
Sytsma also faces a new learning curve.
“It’s only been one day, so still a lot to learn, but I’d say it’s pretty similar to Everett,” he said. “(DaSilva) just expects us to defend hard and battle, and move up and play offence.”
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.