Like every other university hockey player, Brandon Wallis has had an up-and-down past couple of years thanks to Covid-19.

But heSA国际影视传媒檚 taken it all in stride and heSA国际影视传媒檚 happy to just be playing.

The 24-year-old from Yellowknife and his Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) Thunder menSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey team are all done their regular season in the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) regular season. They wrapped things on a winning note, beating Portage College this past Saturday, 3-2, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit in the process.

The regular season itself will close out this coming weekend and the Thunder will be watching to see where they end up once the standings are finalized. As of now, they sit second in the conference and if that holds, they will receive a bye to the semifinal next month; the top two seeds get to watch the first round play out between the third through sixth seeds with the first-place team getting the lowest-ranked of the seeds left. The semifinal series will be a best-of-three and if the Thunder can get past that, theySA国际影视传媒檒l play a best-of-five series for the provincial championship.

Wallis said if the team does get an extra bye week, it wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be too much of a problem.

SA国际影视传媒淲e just wrapped up an stretch of eight games in 16 days,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e have a few banged-up bodies in the locker room so itSA国际影视传媒檒l be good to heal things up and get game-ready. We know the practices will be intense but weSA国际影视传媒檒l be ready for the second round, if we get the bye.SA国际影视传媒�

Wallis finished the regular season with five goals and four assists.

This season was a return to actual game play following the cancellation of the entire 2020-21 ACAC menSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey season due to Covid-19. All the players were able to do was either go to the gym and work out, like Wallis did, or practice whenever they could get on the ice.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was totally off my skates from about November (2020) to March,SA国际影视传媒� said Wallis. SA国际影视传媒淚 went to the gym in Sherwood Park and we had a couple of weeks of practice but that was it. It was the longest stretch ISA国际影视传媒檇 ever been off of skates since I can remember, probably since I was a kid.SA国际影视传媒�

When the announcement came that there would be something resembling a season, Wallis said it was a huge sigh of relief for him.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was just happy to get back out there because two years in a row of no hockey wouldSA国际影视传媒檝e been brutal,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淥ur coach told us it wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 start until (this past) November but we were just glad to hear that we could be playing and I think weSA国际影视传媒檙e all just grateful.SA国际影视传媒�

The season for the Thunder lasted just 16 games but it was 16 more games than they had last season. They finished with a record of 11 wins, three losses and two ties and sit behind EdmontonSA国际影视传媒檚 Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in the standings. NAIT has first place all locked up heading into the final weekend of regular season play.

Wallis has been playing in Alberta for several years, beginning in 2012 with the Sherwood Park Flyers U15 AAA squad. From there, he graduated to the U16 and U18 teams before getting his chance at Junior A with the Spruce Grove Saints in 2015, where he played just two games. He would then be signed by the Sherwood Park Crusaders, where he played in 168 regular season games SA国际影视传媒� notching 23 goals and 41 assists over that time SA国际影视传媒� and 13 more games in the post-season over three years.

Things didnSA国际影视传媒檛 look too good for Wallis near the end of his final campaign in Sherwood Park but he said a chance conversation with the then-head coach at CUE changed everything.

SA国际影视传媒淚 had no offers and I was considering hanging up the skates for good,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淎 week or two after the playoffs that year, I got a call from (Dan Glegloff) and he wanted to meet and talk. From there, he offered me a spot and a scholarship and here I am SA国际影视传媒� still playing and still having fun doing it.SA国际影视传媒�

Coming from the AJHL to collegiate hockey, Wallis said the big difference for him is the physicality of it.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a similar style to the AJHL but itSA国际影视传媒檚 different because itSA国际影视传媒檚 all adults,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚n the AJHL, youSA国际影视传媒檙e playing 16 and 17-year-olds but now, youSA国际影视传媒檙e playing guys who are anywhere from 21 to 26 years old. A lot of the guys in our league came from the AJHL so thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of skill and itSA国际影视传媒檚 really fast, a lot more physical, too.SA国际影视传媒�

Wallis, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 majoring in environmental science, still considers himself a Northerner and admitted heSA国际影视传媒檚 missing not being able to come back home, especially over the past couple of years.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was talking with my parents and we canSA国际影视传媒檛 remember the last time weSA国际影视传媒檝e been back there,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 been two years at least and I miss going home to see my buddies. ISA国际影视传媒檓 hoping ISA国际影视传媒檒l be able to get back home this summer but I really hope the Rec Hockey Tournament is happening. I miss playing in that.SA国际影视传媒�