New signees for Neepawa Natives
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- Published on Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press
Four more players have committed to the Neepawa Natives for the upcoming Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) season. The club has announced via press release the signings of forwards Brett Namaka and Jessie Gibbons, as well as defensemen Gabriel Comeau and Ben Hilhorst.
Namaka played last season with the Winnipeg Wild, serving as the team’s captain and accumulating 57 points in 43 games. Natives general manager Myles Cathcart said the 18-year-old is a very good hockey player in all areas of the rink.
“[Namaka] has a good eye for the net, works extremely hard and is defensively sound,” said Cathcart. “You don’t become the captain of the Winnipeg Wild without great leadership and character. He is a welcome addition to our dressing room and to the on ice product.”
Fellow Winnipeg Wild alumni, Jesse Gibbons, has also committed his CJHL playing rights to Neepawa. Gibbons tallied 18 points for Winnipeg in 28 regular season games last year. Cathcart noted that Gibbons is a good energy player, with a solid skill set, who finishes his checks and does not take a shift off.
As for defensemen Gabriel Comeau, the 17-year-old played last year with the Winnipeg Thrashers, registering 13 points in 44 games. Cathcart said Comeau is a skilled blue liner with great skating ability and an ability to anticipate the play.
The fourth addition to Neepawa is Ben Hilhorst, a 17-year-old from Killarney. The defensemen played last season with the Pilot Mound Buffaloes, of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). In 67 regular season and tournament games, he was able to accumulate 56 points.Cathcart said Hilhorst will be a multi-faceted addition to the blue line.
“[Hilhorst] is a big strong d-man that takes pride in his defensive zone, but has an offensive upside. He sees the ice well, has a great first pass and plays very physical. He is hard to play against and he plays an honest hockey game,” stated Cathcart.
These players, along with the other off-season signees, will all be vying for a spot on the Natives’ roster this fall, when the MJHL clubs ‘training camp begins Aug. 30.
