Getting to the next level, at times, demands a huge leap. So when Cochrane goalie Ryan Ternes made the jump from Bow Valley Midget AA Timberwolves to Alberta Junior Hockey League's (AJHL) Lloydminster Bobcats, he skipped a level altogether.
Getting to the next level, at times, demands a huge leap. So when Cochrane goalie Ryan Ternes made the jump from Bow Valley Midget AA Timberwolves to Alberta Junior Hockey League's (AJHL) Lloydminster Bobcats, he skipped a level altogether.
Backing-up 20-year-old starter Devin Green in Lloyd, the 17-year-old Cochranite has four starts under his belt and is thriving in the heat and light of Jr. A hockey. All this after being turned aside by the UFA Bisons Midget AAA hockey club (Strathmore) last season, the level he vaulted past to get to Lloyd this year.
“Getting cut from Triple-A (last season) was kind of a heart-breaker, ” Ternes admits. “But I came back to Double-A and had a really good year. It's a pretty big jump to make (from Midget AA). I don't know how many guys do it.
“I'm really happy I just got the opportunity to do it right now. ”
The 6-foot, 175-pound Cochranite has a 2-2 record with a 2.77 goals-against average in his rookie AJHL season playing behind Smith. It's a big change from last season's South Central Alberta Hockey League Midget AA tilts at Spray Lake Centre.
“We get about 1,500 fans a game, ” he says of Bobcats home games at Lloydminster's Centennial Civic Centre Arena. “It's a great atmosphere, the city and everything. I'm just enjoying every second of it. It's just my dream, pretty much. ”
It's not without its challenges. Having skipped Midget AAA, he's discovering play at a much higher level and processing as much data as he can on the fly.
“When you have 1,000 people in the rink either going for or against you, it gets your heart going. The speed of the game has picked up, ” Ternes observes. “The emotion of all the guys has definitely changed. You have 22 guys on this team who all want to win as badly as everyone else. The shots come quicker. The speed is faster. It's a great league to come in to. ”
Bobcats coach Gord Thibodeau is tracking Ternes's progress closely. As the possible heir-apparent for Green's starting role in future, Thibodeau doesn't want to shell-shock his rookie backup ‘tender.
“He had a very strong camp, ” Thibodeau imparts. “It's kind of been a bit of a work in progress for any young goalie jumping in at this level. It's very difficult, especially coming from Midget Double A. ”
But the early returns are good.
“He's a little bit unorthodox in his style. But he stops the puck, ” Thibodeau continues. “He's working hard and his last game was very, very good. Every day seems to get a little bit better, and that's what you want for a goalie. ”
With four seasons of Jr. A eligibility left, Ternes can take the long view on his AJHL career.
But higher levels await.
“Right now, with as good a coaching staff as we have in Lloydminster, I want to develop as much as I can, ” Ternes surmises. “Keep my marks up and hopefully write the SAT, go down to the States and try and get one of those NCAA scholarships that are so hard to find.
“Right now it's just about me trying to move to the next level and progress. Whether it's education-wise or hockey-wise, I just want to get there. ”
He's already made a giant leap in that direction.
