Railer Express chugging along to solid start

Transcona

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This article was published 13/11/2024 (508 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s full steam ahead for the Transcona Railer Express.

At the quarter-mark of the 2024-25 Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League regular season, the Railers enjoyed a 9-1-3 record, tied for first place in the 10-team loop with the Charleswood Hawks.

“The crowds are really supportive of us. The boys love it,” said Derek Gagnon, Railer Express head coach and general manager. “The kids look up to them, and we make sure to strive to be our best people, not just hockey players.”

Following a 5-1 win over the Stonewall Jets on Nov. 7, Transcona boasted the league’s best goals-for ratio, at 4.31 per game, the best penalty kill, at nearly 91 per cent, and the second-best power play, which was clicking at 23.7 per cent.

“This year we’re more of a complete team,” said Gagnon, who is now in his eighth season as coach and GM, after starting as an assistant coach. “We score by committee, we have six guys with a point per game. Years past we’d have one or two guys doing all the scoring. We’re all buying into this team cohesion and system. It’s all the players. They wanted to be all in this year and the record shows.”

Captain Nolan Van Den Bussche, a 20-year-old forward, is leading the charge for the Railers, with six goals and 14 assists in 13 games, while assistant captain Jeremy Chateauneuf, a 21-year-old forward, isn’t far behind with four goals and nine assists. Assistant captain Evan Chudley, a 21-year-old forward, has seven goals and four assists, while fellow alternate Kaden Bruchanski (20) leads the defencemen with three goals and eight assists.

“Nolan, he’s a great leader. Not vocal, but leads by example, disciplined, but plays hard every time,” Gagnon said. “Evan and Michael were assistant captains last year, as well. They’re Transcona guys who have been playing with us for a while. Kaden is a solid D-man. People gravitate towards him. And Jeremy is another five-year guy for us. He’s really matured into a young man, which shows how people gravitate towards him and respond.”

Rookie goaltender Sage Delaronde has earned his minutes, boasting a 2.16 goals against average and a .927 save percentage through 361 minutes between the pipes to date. In October, he was named both goaltender and rookie of the month by the league after posting five wins, a 1.82 GAA and .940 save percentage.

“Sage is another Transcona kid, played with Murdoch (MacKay), and he’s gotten better as the season has gone on,” Gagnon said. “He’s really listening to what coach Connor Shaw is telling him. He’s had an amazing month. You don’t see that too often. He catches with his right hand. He’s showing his promise and potential.”

Transcona has also benefited from strong play from rookie Logan Maroni, who had a 2.50 GAA and .926 save percentage in three starts after he was picked up by the Railer Express early in the season.

“Those two have been a great tandem,” Gagnon said. “They’re pushing each other.”

With a lot of hockey yet to come, Gagnon and the Railer Express are only getting started.

“We can see we have a special team this year,” he said. “But we like to break our periods up into five-minute segments, to break it into little chunks, instead of getting lost in the sauce of the big picture. That keeps everyone focused. Total kudos to our guys. They’re focused on our own game. We’re the keepers of our gates, we’re the only ones with the key.”

For complete results, schedule, and more, visit mmjhl.ca