Sheldon Wenzel knows when it’s time to give his Maineiacs a fighting chance.
LEWISTON – He didn’t want to fight on Sunday. Banged up from several early-season scraps and the every-day pounding he takes as a winger with the Lewiston Maineiacs, Sheldon Wenzel would have gladly taken his three points (two goals and an assist) and gone home.
But Victoriaville had other plans.
In the third period of Sunday’s game, the Tigres engaged the Maineiacs in several fights that resulted in a pile of penalties. In the middle of it all, as usual, was Wenzel, the 19-year-old forward from Brooks, Alberta, Canada.
“He knows when it is time,” said Maineiacs coach Mario Durocher. “He knows when it is time to fight to put the team back on track, when he has to stick up for the rest of the team, and he knows when it’s time to put the puck in the net.”
No guarantees
Undrafted by the Lewiston Maineiacs, Wenzel was invited to camp during the preseason after the Maineiacs’ scouting staff had noticed him playing AAA hockey in Medicine Hat, Alberta, about one hour away from his Brooks home.
“Norm (Gosselin, Lewiston’s general manager) found Wenzel out West, along with Nick Cowan and Travis Mealy,” said Durocher. “All of them have been valuable to this team. In training camp, Wenzel got a reputation around the league as a top player.”
“I just came out here hoping to make the team,” said Wenzel. “There were no guarantees, but this league is a higher level than where I was playing before, and I figured it was worth the shot.”
Wenzel’s training camp with the Maineiacs went well, and the stocky forward earned a reputation as an honest fighter with a scoring touch.
Role playing
In the QMJHL, offensive players often get branded, either becoming a scoring forward, and fighter, a mucker and grinder, or a defensive forward. Wenzel has avoided the typical stereotypes, emerging as a combination of all four.
“I am an enforcer, there’s no doubt,” said Wenzel. “I know that it’s my job to protect the guys when they need me to do that, but I also know that I’m here to provide offense, and I can do that, too.”
His numbers this year have backed that up. Through 32 games, Wenzel has played in 31, tallied nine goals and six assists and racked up 125 minutes in penalties, easily the highest on the team in the latter category. Among the league leaders, Wenzel is seventh in total penalty minutes.
The fan favorite
Aside from his top play, point production on the second line and physical abilities, Wenzel has earned the reputation of “fan favorite.”
When his name is announced at the Central Maine Civic Center, the crowd’s cheers seem just a few decibels louder. The players respect him enough to have awarded him an ‘A’ on his jersey as an alternate captain, and the coaching staff is enamored with his work ethic and playing style.
“He works very hard off the ice,” said Durocher. “Everything that has happened to him this year, he has worked hard for. The reason a lot of people like him is because he practices hard, just like he plays.”
“I don’t know about being the favorite,” said Wenzel. “I guess it’s just my style of play, it’s entertaining. As long as it helps to get people into the game and show support for the team, that’s what matters.”
What’s next
With the trading period fast approaching in the QMJHL, it seems unlikely that the 19-year-old will be traveling any time soon.
There are things, according to Durocher, that Wenzel still needs to work on, and some that he has already addressed.
“When he came to camp, he was a little fat,” said Durocher. “He worked very hard on and off the ice on that and he has brought his weight down, and now I think it helps him on the ice.”
Wenzel is listed at 239 on all of the team’s published material, but recently he weighed in at about 220 pounds.
“I used to be 5-foot, 2-inches tall and was really, really skinny,” said Wenzel. “I just sprouted up after that, I guess.”
Wenzel has also steadily improved his footwork and his stick-handling ability. Of his 15 points this season, 12 have come since the first of November.
“He still has to work on his breakouts,” said Durocher. “He still needs to improve his skating and the quickness of his feet, but everyone seems to enjoy the way he plays and the way he contributes to this team. If he works really hard and comes into training camp next year in shape and ready to go, there is a good chance he will be able to play for us as an overage next season.”
jpelletier@sunjournal.com
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