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In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2024-25 season, we will go team-by-team to profile new players entering the league, as well as offseason acquisitions through trades. We speak with the coach/GM of each team to get their thoughts on the new crop of players.
Next up is the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
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The Sherwood Park Crusaders finished second in the Alberta Division last season and went on to win their semifinal series against the Blackfalds Bulldogs before they were ousted by the Brooks Bandits in the finals.
Looking ahead to 2024-25 and the team’s first full season in the BCHL, we caught up with head coach Brennan Menard to recap what has been a busy offseason for the Cru.
New recruits
John Alexander Banks (2007, D)
Hometown: Secaucus, N.J.- Previous team: North Jersey Avalanche AAA (AYHL 16U)
- College commitment: University of Massachusetts
Banks was the highest scoring defenceman on his 16U team last year with 20 points in in 21 games on eight goals and 12 helpers.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s an offensively gifted defenceman. An important aspect to our style of play is having defencemen that can skate and make a play and he fits the bill. He gets up and down the ice quickly. He can break down coverages with his skating. He can get himself out of trouble through his skating and puck skills, then get the puck into the forwards’ hands. He helps on the rush as well, which is really important for us.”
Jude Bray (2008, D)
Hometown: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.- Previous team: Toronto Marlboros AAA (GTHL U16)
Bray was the top-scoring defenceman on his Marlboros U16 team last year, putting up 65 points in 88 games across all competition.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He has all the talent in the world. He’s mobile, has a very high IQ and is a heady player. He’s deceptive on the blueline and very good on the power play. He’s another player that is offensively gifted, which is important for our style of play. He can skate really well and also plays the game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He plays the game hard.”
Jérémy Loranger (2007, F)
Hometown: Trois-Rivières, Que.- Previous team: Trois-Rivières Estacades (QM18AAA)
- College commitment: University of Nebraska-Omaha
Loranger led his team in scoring in 2023-24, piling up 64 points in 42 games and scoring a team-best 30 goals.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s got really high-end skill. He’s fast. He’s an elite playmaker. He’s also very competitive. We’re going to see some special things out of him. Our style of play is such a good fit for a player like this. We think he’s going to pop playing for us.”
Nicolas Beaudoin (2004, F)
Hometown: St. Paul, Alta.- Previous team: Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)
- College commitment: University of Alaska
Beaudoin spent the past two-and-a-half seasons in Bonnyville and was the captain and second-leading scorer in 2023-24 when he tallied 23 goals, 33 assists and 56 points in 54 games. The year prior, his 40 goals were two shy of the league lead.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s an older, experienced guy. He played in the AJHL and scored a lot of goals. He’s a guy who is really good at finishing close to the net. He’s at his best in the slot area and the net area. He’s very heady, smart, hard-working and high character. Not only can he finish when he shoots, he also collects rebounds and can finish plays in a multitude of different ways.”
Jordan Gudridge (2005, D)
Hometown: Greenwood Village, Colo.- Previous team: Colorado Grit (NAHL)
- College commitment: Dartmouth College
After playing his youth hockey in his home state of Colorado, Gudridge returned home last year to play for the Colorado Grit of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) where he notched 25 points in 48 games and was the team’s top-scoring defender. Before his year in the NAHL, he played one season for Madison of the USHL.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He can make a play. He’s an excellent passer and he’s very fast. He’s going to win the majority of his foot races and will be able to skate the puck through coverage, beat forecheckers and also attach to the rush, add numbers and beat checks up the ice.”
Matthew Croxall (2006, F)
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.- Previous team: Maryland Black Bears
- College commitment: College of the Holy Cross
In his first year of junior hockey in 2023-24, Croxall finished his season with 14 goals, 15 assists and 29 points in 39 regular-season games for Maryland of the North American Hockey League.
Menard’s scouting report:
“We watched him at length last year. He plays a hard game and he’s got good skills with the puck. He really forechecks hard. All of his stick skills and playmaking, we really like, but he plays the game hard. He wins battles in tight spaces. He plays inside the dots a lot and he’s really good at getting the puck back when he loses it. He’s a relentless player.”
Nicholas DiPaolo (2006, F)
Hometown: Burlington, Ont.- Previous team: Wellington Dukes (OJHL)
- College commitment: Niagara University
In his rookie season in junior hockey, DiPaolo notched 30 points in 50 games for Wellington of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a very good skater. We wanted to continue to get faster, so we really identified some players that can skate and he’s a burner. He’s got good skills to make a play, but the biggest thing with him is his speed.”
Daniel Vasic (2006, F)
Hometown: New Market, Ont.- Previous team: Blind River Beavers (NOJHL)
- College commitment: Lake Superior State University
Vasic was his team’s top goal-scorer with 37 markers on the year, good enough for fifth across the entire Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). He was his team’s third-leading scorer with 59 points in 35 games and also contributed 15 points in 12 postseason contests.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a dangerous shooter. He’s a scorer. If everything goes the way we think it will with him, he should be able to beat goalies clean off of his wrist shot. He moves really well.”
Hudson Landmark (2007, F)
Hometown: Sherwood Park, Alta.- Previous team: Sherwood Park Kings AAA (AEHL U18)
Landmark was the third-leading scorer for the Kings AAA U18 program last year, ending his season at exactly a point per game with 38 in 38 contests. He also played in 10 games for his hometown Crusaders as an affiliate, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s working with a bit of a bigger frame. He’s not overly physical, but he’s a very intelligent checker and good at getting pucks back. He’s very reliable and coachable. He has good offensive skills as well. Because of the time he spent with us last year, he knows exactly what we do and we know he’s a good fit.”
Tristan Payne (2006, D)
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.- Previous team: Vancouver North West Hawks AAA (BCEHL U18)
Payne grew up in the North West Hawks system, playing for the program for the previous five seasons. In 2023-24, he was the captain of the under-18 squad and led the Hawks in points from the back end with 34 in 28 games.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a mobile defenceman who gets up and down the ice well. He’s a dangerous shooter who finds a lot of middle-distance shots, which is important for us. He can finish when he gets opportunities.”
Poul Andersen (2007, F)
Hometown: St. Louis Park, Minn.- Previous team: Long Island Gulls (16U AAA)
- College commitment: University of Maine
Andersen was a top player for his 16U team in New York last year and also saw a couple of games as an affiliate for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a righthanded shooter who plays inside the dots a lot. He’s a really good addition for our style of play because of the places that we like to shoot from. I would say he’s a finisher. He plays a very well-rounded game, but when he gets into scoring areas, he’s dangerous.”
Brec Christenson (2006, F)
Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.- Previous team: Edmonton Jr. Oilers AAA (AEHL U18)
- College commitment: Minnesota State University
Christenson was the leading point-getter for the Jr. Oilers in 2023-24 with 38 points and a team-high 26 assists in 36 contests.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He plays the game with a lot of energy and with an edge. He moves really well and plays really hard. We love how he skates and he’s very competitive. He’s got puck skills that allow him to make plays.”
Jackson Schneider (2007, D)
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.- Previous team: Calgary Buffaloes AAA (AEHL U18)
Schneider totaled eight goals, 14 assists and 22 points for the Buffaloes last season. He also scored in his lone game with the Crusaders as an affiliate in 2023-24.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a two-way solid defenceman who moves really well. He’s a fast skater and a competitive kid. He’s more of a simple player, but his skating is probably his biggest asset along with his competitiveness.”
Maxime Ly (2007, F)
Hometown: Ste-Julie, Que.- Previous team: Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois (QM18AAA)
- College commitment: Union College
Playing under-18 with Saint-Hyacinthe in Quebec last year, Ly was his team’s second-leading scorer with 36 points in 42 contests.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s an excellent skater and can also make a play. The biggest thing that stands out for him is, he can do everything, but his speed is what separates him from the rest. He’s a high character kid as well.”
Stevie Grumley (2007, D)
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, Calif.- Previous team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings (16U AAA)
- College commitment: UMass-Lowell
In 69 games last year with the Jr. Kings, Grumley totaled 43 points.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s a really smart player and a fast skater. He can keep tight gaps, win foot races and make a play in all three zones. He can be a part of the rush and can play low or high in the offensive zone. He has offensive skill, but his skating lends itself to all types of defensive angling and pressuring puck carriers.”
Tristen Buckley (2007, F)
Hometown: Red Deer, Alta.- Previous team: Red Deer Chiefs AAA (AEHL U18)
Despite starting the year as a 15-year-old, Buckley produced at a high clip for his under-18 team in Red Deer last year, finishing his campaign with 10 goals, 18 assists and 28 points in 37 games.
Menard’s scouting report:
“He’s got a lot of speed, excellent skating skills, and he’s very smart. He’s just smooth with really good puck skills. He’s going to have an exciting curve as he grows. He’s still very young, but has so much talent. He’s an exciting player for us.”
Jack McDonough (2007, F)
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.- Previous team: Lovell Academy (16U AAA)
- College commitment: St. Lawrence University
McDonough suited up for Lovell Academy in Rockwell, Mass. last season, but the two years prior, he was a member of the Boston Advantage program.
Menard’s scouting report:
“Jack moves well, checks hard and plays hard, but also has the offensive skills that allow him to make a play. He brings a bit more of a physical element to our team, which is something we don’t have a lot of right now.”
Acquired via trade
Matthew Frost (2006, F)
Hometown: Moose Jaw, Sask.- Previous team: Coquitlam Express
- College commitment: Boston College
Acquired by Sherwood Park in a trade with the Coquitlam Express on July 6, Frost split last season between Waterloo of the USHL and the Express, where he finished the season. During his time in Coquitlam, he had five points in 15 regular-season games.
Menard’s scouting report:
“We think he can reach another level once he gets to Sherwood Park. Our style of play is a really good fit for a player like this. He can make a play. He can shoot the puck at a high level. He’s a really talented player. He’s going to make our team faster and will find his way back to the player we know he can be.”
Photo credits: Dan Hickling (Banks, Bray, Grumley, McDonough)
