Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk is on his way back to Moose Jaw.
But not before going out of his way to make supporters of the Western Hockey League team a little nervous.
With the way things had been going for Mateychuk with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the National Hockey League pre-season, it seemed local fans would be in for a long wait to see their captain again.
Because on top of his presence as an elite puck-moving rearguard, Mateychuk was putting up points.
The 19-year-old first-round NHL Draft pick had a five-assist game during rookie camp and then picked up a single assist in three straight games during the NHL preseason. Mateychuk then didn’t see action in Columbus’ next two outings before going without a point on Thursday in Washington.
Mateychuk had also been drawing raving reviews in the media surrounding the Jackets, with much debate as to whether he was ready, right now, to supplant one of Columbus’ established veterans.
With all that, the Warriors got the good news they’d been hoping for on Monday morning.
The Blue Jackets announced their season-opening roster, and among the eight players moved was none other than Mateychuk.
The 12th-overall selection this past summer, Mateychuk will be a game-changer on the Warriors blueline.
His puck movement, agility and vision make him extremely difficult for the opposition to deal with, and it all rolls into his ability to generate offence. Mateychuk has flirted with the 70-point mark both of his full seasons in the WHL, with 13 goals and 64 points in 2022-22 to go along with 57 assists and 65 points last season.
Mateychuk joins forward Jagger Firkus and Brayden Yager as legitimate candidates for the World Junior team this December.
The Warriors captain could make his season debut on Tuesday night against the Calgary Hitmen at the Moose Jaw Events Centre if flights work out in his favour, so be sure to keep an eye on Warriors social media for updates.
