Regina Native Hopes for NHL Camp

MOOSE JAW

Jason Bast is adding more hardware to his trophy shelf.

One of the most accomplished players in Moose Jaw Warriors history capped off his WHL career by winning the Brad Hornung Trophy as the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.

It caught me by surprise even being nominated for the award, said Bast. To actually win it was great. It’s really nice to be recognized on the league level like that.

Bast beat Western Conference finalist Jared Spurgeon from the Spokane Chiefs. Blair Atcheynum was the Warriors’ only previous winner of the Hornung Trophy.

Bast was honoured Wednesday during the WHL awards banquet in Edmonton.

The 20-year-old Regina product took pride in being recognized as a gentlemanly player.

I try not to be too much of a disturber out on the ice. It’s not really my game and I never got into that, said Bast. I’m proud of the way I played the game.

Bast completed his five-year career with the Warriors by setting the franchise record for regular-season games played (331). In that time he had only 118 penalty minutes.

Bast had 114 goals and 140 assists in his Warriors career. Bast added 13 goals and 22 points in 25 career playoff games.

The former Warriors captain is also the only winner of the team’s Fans Choice Award, earning that honour each of the four seasons it has been awarded. Bast is also the only player to be named the Warriors’ most valuable player three times.

After his sterling WHL career, Bast is now facing an uncertain hockey future. In addition to the awards banquet, the 5-foot-10 centre is heading to the University of Alberta to check out its kinesiology program.

I’m going to check out some schools and look into my options, said Bast.

I’ve decided that I’m going to take kinesiology. It’s just a matter of where I’m going to take it.

Bast has visited or plans on visiting five schools, but said narrowing the list has been hard. While he plans for his future, he is still hoping that the door to a potential pro hockey career remains open.

I’m still hoping for pro opportunities this summer, but I won’t find out for a while yet exactly what I’m doing, he said.

Bast played two games with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL after the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs.

It was a great experience, said Bast. I had a lot of fun there. The way that things were done was a lot different than in junior. It was interesting to see how different things were done, plus it was a beautiful city on top of it.

ECHL teams can only dress 10 forwards. Bast played in the Salmon Kings’ final regular-season game and once in the post-season, but didn’t receive a lot of ice time.

I didn’t really play a whole lot. They have a pretty tight group, said Bast, who went from double-shifting at times in the WHL playoffs to being spot-shifted in the ECHL playoffs.

It was tough. I got used to playing some big minutes and when I was there I wanted to be playing those big minutes. At the same time I tried to think of what I told our young guys to be like on the bench provide energy and be into the game. I tried to do that while I was there.

Bast is trying to get back into his off-season routine while waiting to find out if a pro team will give him an opportunity.

I’m thinking that within a week or two after the (NHL) draft I’ll have found out if I’ll be able to get an invitation to an NHL summer camp, said Bast.

Hopefully I get one and once I get there I’ll be able to evaluate where I stand.

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