ESTEVAN -- With Estevan getting ready to host the 2022 Centennial Cup, the host Estevan Bruins are also starting preparations for the season ahead.

Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic was in his office at Affinity Place on Wednesday, watching games and making calls for recruitment.

“Not for one second do we feel that just because we’re the host city that we’re going to roll over everyone,” Tatarnic said. “There’s some excellent teams in our league and there’s going to be some very good teams next year.”

Estevan was named the host city back in December 2019 but since then both the 2020 and 2021 tournaments had to be cancelled, brought to a standstill with the rest of the hockey world due to COVID-19.

But with confirmation the tournament is planned to go forward in southeast Saskatchewan, hype is starting to build.

“It really unites the whole community, it gives us the opportunity to showcase our community and exposure that we normally don’t have,” said Estevan Chamber of Commerce executive director Jackie Wall.

The pandemic also limited the last SJHL season, making the upcoming season all the more important.

“We only got to see our players in six games this year but we do have the core of our team returning, I believe we have 18 players eligible to return,” Tatarnic said.

Tatarnic is no stranger to what it takes to get to the Centennial Cup and play well. His past experience includes a run that saw his team reach the finals in 2012, falling to the champion Penticton Vees in Humboldt.

“It’s a grind, it’s gruelling, it’s tough mentally. For our group, our focus will be on our league first, just getting in the playoffs will be our first goal,” Tatarnic said. “We know we have our work cut out for us in our league play and that’ll just make us better and prepare us for the tournament and we’re excited to get started.”

The team still has about one year’s worth of preparation time before puck drops on the Centennial Cup next spring, but eventually hope to stand tall as the first Saskatchewan team to win the tournament since the Yorkton Terriers in 2014.

The event will run from May 20 to May 29, 2022.