OCN trio off to a great start

By Derek Holtom
MJHL Web Correspondent

Is there a more electrifying line in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League right now than the combination of Logan Harland, Devin Muir and Jeremy Dumont of the OCN Blizzard?

After an explosive mid-October stretch, the trio held down three of the top four spots in the league scoring, led by Harland with his eight goals and 15 assists.  Muir was one point back with 22 point, while Dumont (Recycle Player of the Week) had 21 points.

The early offensive domination is reminiscent of the early 2000’s, when it was expected to see plenty of Blizzard players jockeying for positions among the leaders in league scoring.

The success was not unexpected to head coach Jason Smith, who said the trio is quite adaptable when on the ice together.

“I think they’re the hardest-working line in the league – in fact I know they are,” said Smith. “They have a little bit of everything – they have grit, they have skill, and they can all shoot the puck.

“At first, it’s a tricky thing to put together a line, but when you put skilled guys together, they’re going to find each other on the ice,” he added.

Harland, who hails from Saskatoon, Sask., (via Frenchman Butte, Sask.) comes to the Blizzard after playing for several junior teams across Canada – including the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants. In his final year of junior Harland was hoping make an impact, and early on, that’s exactly what he’s been able to do.

“I didn’t know what to expect with this being a new league for me, as I’ve never played in this part of Canada before, but I was really impressed with the tempo of the league and my team,” said Harland.

“And I owe all my success to my line mates – we’ve all had chemistry from the start, and it just seems to be getting better.”

Harland’s roots are in Saskatchewan, while Muir calls Oak Bluff, Man., home. The third piece to this puzzle, Dumont, calls Val d’or, Que., home. Three players from three different provinces – so the question has to be asked, do they communicate well on the ice?

That would be a resounding yes, according to Harland.

“We seem to be able to communicate, and we’re always talking on and off the ice, about new things we can try, and it’s been successful so far,” he said.

The offensive punch this trio provides has helped the Blizzard climb out of the bottom half of the standings. Harland said he doesn’t know much about the recent history of the Blizzard when there were not contenders for a league title, but says this is a new season and that this team craves success.

“We have a special team this year,” he said. “I know that new guys were brought in, and the changes that were made have been to win. I think we can do well, and that this will be a successful season.”

Harland added he has goals for hockey down the road, but for now, his goal is to help the Blizzard win a championship.