He played three seasons of major junior hockey (he’s one of the few Newfoundlanders to register a 100-point season in the Quebec junior circuit), followed by a couple years split between the American Hockey League and ECHL before a lengthy nine-year run in the European pro leagues.
And yet, when it’s all said and done, one of the highlights of Patrick Yetman’s hockey career will be the Herder Memorial Trophy championship he won with the 2018-19 Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts.
“To win a Herder is very special,” said the Cataracts’ playing-coach Sunday, after his team disposed of the Southern Shore Breakers 3-2 in overtime to win the province’s senior hockey championship. “To have my family see me play was special.
“I grew up watching the Herder. To be part of it now is really exciting.”
The Cataracts were a pedestrian 10-7 on the year, but went on an 8-3 run in the post-season, beating the Gander Flyers in six games in the Central Division final, before putting the Breakers away in a five-game Herder final.
Yetman took over the Cataracts’ coaching reigns in 2017, but suited up for his first taste of senior hockey as a player just before Christmas this season.
It was his first real meaningful hockey played since Dec. 1, 2012, the night he injured his wrist and ended his pro career.
It happened while he toiled for Orebro of the Swedish league. The injury would lead to an infection in the wrist, and it would be years before he came close to getting full function of the damaged area.
“It’s at least to a point now where I can play,” Yetman said. “When I started coaching last year, I kind of got the itch (to play), but I knew the wrist had to be stronger.
“When I got back to playing this season, it was six years and one week after the injury, and it felt great to be out there again. Hockey was my life, and being on the ice as a player, being in the room, the adrenaline you got from playing was a void I couldn’t fill.
“So to play again, and close out on my own terms, with a championship … you can’t really ask for anything better than that.”
At Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor Sunday, the Cataracts won it on Alex Dalley’s goal at 8:43 of overtime.
The Breakers’ Kris Hodge and Yetman traded first-period goals. Following a scoreless second period, Jeremy Nicholas put the visitors ahead with a goal 2:26 into the third period.
It stood 2-1 for the most of the final period of play, until Grand Falls-Windsor pulled netminder A.J. Whiffen for the extra attacker.
The plan worked as the homestanding squad scored the equalizer, when team captain Michael Brent, the Cliff Gorman Memorial Award winner as the Herder MVP, scored with 46 seconds left in regulation time.
That set the stage for Dalley’s heroics in the extra session.
Once again, both goalies played very well, with Whiffen stopping 32 of 34 shots and Mark Yetman making 30 saves for the Breakers.
It was the fourth Herder in the past six years for Grand Falls-Windsor, and 15th overall.
For Whiffen, it was his fifth Herder in the past six years, after winning with the Cataracts from 2014-16 and C.B.N. CeeBee Stars in 2017.
2018-19 provincial senior hockey award winners
Cliff Gorman Memorial Award (Herder Memorial Trophy series MVP) — Michael Brent (Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts)
Albert “PeeWee” Crane Memorial Award (rookie of the year) — Kris Hodge (Conception Bay Blues)
S.E. Tuma Memorial Trophy (top scorer) — Kevin Reid (Clarenville Caribous)
T.A. “Gus” Soper Memorial Award (regular season MVP) — Jordan Escott (Gander Flyers)
President’s Award (goalie with best goals against average) — A.J. Whiffen (Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts)
Howie Clouter Memorial Award (most gentlemanly and effective player) — Danny Wicks (Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts)
The Telegram Trophy (first place team in the regular season) — Gander Flyers
HERDER WINNERS
The Herder Memorial Trophy is emblematic of provincial senior hockey supremacy. Here are the Herder winners over the past years:
1935 - Corner Brook Royals
1936 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1937 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1938 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1939 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1940 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1941 - Bell Island
1942 - No competition
1943 - No competition
1944 - Bell Island
1945 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1946 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1947 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1948 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1949 - St. John’s, St. Bon’s
1950 - Buchans Miners
1951 - Buchans Miners
1952 - Buchans Miners
1953 - Grand Falls
1954 - Buchans Miners
1955 - Grand Falls Andcos
1956 - Grand Falls Andcos
1957 - Grand Falls Andcos
1958 - Grand Falls Andcos
1959 - Grand Falls Andcos
1960 - Conception Bay CeeBees
1961 - Conception Bay CeeBees
1962 - Corner Brook Royals
1963 - Buchans Miners
1964 - Corner Brook Royals
1965 - Conception Bay CeeBees
1966 - Corner Brook Royals
1967 - Conception Bay CeeBees
1968 - Corner Brook Royals
1969 - Gander Flyers
1970 - St. John’s Capitals
1971 - Grand Falls Cataracts
1972 - Grand Falls Cataracts
1973 - St. John’s Capitals
1974 - St. John’s Capitals
1975 - St. John’s Capitals
1976 - St. John’s Capitals
1977 - Corner Brook Royals
1978 - St. John’s Blue Caps
1979 - St. John’s Mike’s Shamrocks
1980 - Gander Flyers
1981 - Grand Falls Cataracts
1982 - Grand Falls Cataracts
1983 - Stephenville Jets
1984 - Stephenville Jets
1985 - Corner Brook Royals
1986 - Corner Brook Royals (Allan Cup champions)
1987 - St. John’s Capitals
1988 - Corner Brook Royals
1989 - Port aux Basques Mariners (Hardy Trophy champions)
1990 - St. John’s Capitals
1991 - No competition
1992 - Badger Bombers
1993 - Flatrock Flyers
1994 - La Scie Jets
1995 - Southern Shore Breakers
1996 - Southern Shore Breakers
1997 - Flatrock Flyers
1998 - Flatrock Flyers
1999 - Southern Shore Breakers
2000 - Southern Shore Breakers
2001 - Deer Lake Red Wings
2002 - Corner Brook Royals
2003 - Flatrock Flyers
2004 - Southern Shore Breakers
2005 - Deer Lake Red Wings
2006 - C.B.N. CeeBee Stars
2007 - C.B.N. CeeBee Stars
2008 - C.B.N. CeeBee Stars
2009 - Clarenville Caribous
2010 - Clarenville Caribous (Allan Cup champions in 2011)
2011 - Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts
2012 - Clarenville Caribous
2013 - C.B.N. CeeBee Stars
2014 - Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts
2015 - Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts
2016 – Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts (Allan Cup champions in 2017)
2017 – C.B.N. CeeBee Stars
2018 – Clarenville Caribous
2019 – Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts
