CHL Husky Sportsman of the Year Bast Ready for New Chapter
Courtesy Jesse Watts, whl.ca
Jason Bast wrapped up a successful five-year career with the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors by taking home the CHL’s 2010 Husky Sportsman of the Year award, presented to him at the CHL Awards ceremony on Saturday, May 22nd, in Brandon, MB.
The 20-year-old from Moose Jaw, SK, is well-deserving of the honor after a career that saw him score 114 goals and 254 points in 331 games over five years with his hometown team, while only accumulating 118 penalty minutes in his entire career.
Now, Bast is ready for a new chapter in his life as his tenure in the WHL comes to a close. The 5’10”, 188-lb forward has decided to head east to attend St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and play for the St. FX X-Men Hockey team.
“It’s an exciting change,” said Bast of his decision to head to Nova Scotia in the fall, enroll in school and play for the X-Men. “To be able to move on to something new is going to be fun…It’s going to be a lot different to be out on my own, but I have some friends out there already, so hopefully that will help with the adjustment.”
His decision to pursue a scholastic path at a Canadian University was made possible through the WHL Scholarship program. For every year a player plays in the WHL, they receive a year’s worth of Scholarship funding that covers tuition, books, and other expenses. Having played five years in the WHL, Bast can now pursue a degree program without having to worry about the financial cost.
“It’s huge,” said Bast of having the WHL Scholarship to help him in his educational pursuits. “It’s a really great package the WHL has put together, and it’s too good to pass up.
“Even though there are other pro opportunities for me, right now, it was a no-brainer for me to take advantage of the Scholarship,” he said.
A big part of Bast’s decision also came down to the fact that he’ll still be able to play hockey at an elite level for the X-Men. With more and more CHL grads choosing to use scholarships to attend Canadian Universities, the level of talent in the CIS has grown exponentially over the last decade.
Indeed, Bast will know several familiar faces when he gets to Antigonish. Many WHL graduates are playing for the X-Men already, including Bast’s former Warriors teammates Brennan Wray and Joey Perricone, and others like Brett Robertson, Spencer McAvoy, Kevin Undershute and Ryan White, whom Bast has played against over his WHL career.
“There are a lot of WHL guys who head out there, so I know it’ll be a really great League to play in and it will be a step up from the WHL, so I’m pretty excited to play,” said Bast.
Having spent a quarter of his life playing in the WHL, Bast knows how important his time in the League has meant to his development as a player and a person. Reflecting on his WHL career, Bast is very thankful to have been able to play with the players and coaches he has over the years who have helped him get to where he is today.
“It’s gone by so fast,” he said. “When I first came to the Warriors at 16, they told me it would go by fast and I didn’t believe it.
“Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect, but each year that went by, my role changed and grew and now I’m a much more complete player.
“In my first year, we went to the WHL finals and there were a lot of older guys who took me under their wing and taught me about the League and how to handle it.
“Having played with so many great players over the years, I think I’ve tried to take a little bit from all of them,” he said.