Photo: Todd Pederson
Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, the Virden Oil Capitals have named veteran, Ethan Guthrie as their captain.
“It’s an honor of course to be named the captain” said the 20-year-old veteran. “I’m very excited and I’m very proud.”
Guthrie says it wasn’t something he was really expecting. “I got a phone call from (Head Coach Tyson Ramsey) and he asked if I’d like to be the captain. I couldn’t have agreed faster. I was 100% in, it’s an honor and a privilege. I think that I’ll do a great job of it this year.”
A big reason why Guthrie believes he’s set up for success is because of the players who he’s learned from over the years. “We had a lot of vets (last year), they had a lot of years in the WHL, they really taught us a lot. They helped us mature as a team but really helped me mature as a person.”
Having suited up in 113 MJHL games, all for Virden, Guthrie says sticking to his game is going to be key going forward as captain. “I talked to Rammer about it, and he hammered down on that they named me captain for a reason. I play a hard game, so I’m just going to play my game, stick up for my teammates and go about our business.”
GM and Head Coach Tyson Ramsey had high praise for the third-year veteran, telling OilCapsHockey.com, “we are very excited to have Ethan lead our team as our captain for the upcoming season. Since coming to Virden, he has been completely committed to our organization and is looked up to by his teammates. In his time here with us, he has matured into a great player on the ice and an outstanding human being off the ice. He is exactly the type of guy that we want our younger players looking up to and we are very proud of him.”
It’s not just on the ice where Guthrie wants to leave an impression. “I think a good locker-room is a main key part to a team. You can have a good team that’s brought down by a toxic locker-room. I’m going to make sure the boys are all getting along, and I believe in Virden we’ve always had a good room, so I’m going to keep that going.”
Coming off being a veteran heavy lineup last year, this year’s Oil Caps could be a bit younger, something Guthrie is excited about. “This year’s group kind of reminds me of my first year, we were a lot younger team, didn’t have high expectations but ended up going to the finals. This year, I think it’s going to be a hard, gritty year and we’re all going to be ready to go to battle.”
Guthrie plans to not just be a captain for the Oil Caps team but for the entire community that loves the team so passionately. “I think being involved in the community is one of the biggest parts of our team. Last year, I think we all put in a lot of time. Me myself, I think I put in over 50-hours. We love volunteering in Virden. It’s great to interact with the community and our fans.”
It’s those fans that pack Tundra Oil and Gas Place and make it a difficult place to win in, something Guthrie absolutely loves. “We have the best fans in the league, and I’ll swear by that. It’s always bumping in there.”
After being told he was going to be captain, Guthrie smiles when he talks about the first person he told. “I called my dad, he’s always been my number one supporter, and he had to be the one to know first.”
Entering his final year of junior hockey, Guthrie says that he’s going to soak in the special moments, especially at the home opener when his name is called last. “I’m going to take it all in. It’s going to be a special, exciting time.”
The 2024-2025 MJHL regular season will get underway Friday, September 20th when the Oil Caps host the Dauphin Kings.
