Goalie scrap from Saskatchewan junior league goes viral

One thing that I think every hockey fan should get the chance to experience: Junior hockey in a small Canadian town. 

Some of the best hockey I've ever seen has been in a small rink with only a couple hundred people in attendance. From Newfoundland to BC, all across the country you'll find great high level junior hockey being played by kids playing their absolute guts out. It's simply the best.

Now, with that in mind I take you to Carrot River, Saskatchewan for a tilt between the Saskatoon Royals and the Carrot River Outback Thunder when goalie Brayden Schenstead earns himself the Goalie Gordie Howe hat trick with a win, a shutout and a goalie fight.

Check it out:

Old time hockey, baby!

You love to see it!

Those Sasky boys aren't afraid to drop the mitts... Hell they'll even drop the catcher and blocker by the looks of it!

In all seriousness, junior A and junior B level hockey across Canada is, to me, as pure as the game gets. These kids likely aren't destined for the NHL, most of them aren't even destined for a college scholarship. They're playing purely for the love of the game and to entertain the crowd. That's as pure as it gets in my books.

I'm certain you can find similar leagues in the northern United States in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York, but to me it's hard to beat junior hockey on the Canadian prairies from places like Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. I've seen more BCHL games than I can count and there are moments from those games that I'll remember much longer than some random play from the NHL. The fact of the matter is that, while the best players play in the NHL and it's the pinnacle of the sport in terms of skill, it simply doesn't have the heart that small town junior hockey has. To me, these kids are the real lifeblood of the sport and keep it driving forward even if they can't eke out a living from it.

Old time hockey, baby.