Eagles pipeline continues for Griffins with addition of strong two-way Canmore captain Dekowny
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – For a third-straight year, the MacEwan Griffins men's hockey team is adding a player from the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Canmore Eagles.
After recruiting Vincent Scott (2023) and Brody Tallman (2024), the Griffins are now bringing in a player who was a junior teammate to both of them: Eagles' 2024-25 captain Rhett Dekowny.
"I think it helps just coming in and knowing people," said Griffins head coach Zack Dailey. "I believe him and Tally are going to live together next year as well, so I think the comfortability piece is important where you're living with a buddy, and he can show you around. It just helps you get acclimated a little bit quicker."
Dekowny finished fifth in scoring in the AJHL in 2024-25 with 27 goals and 59 points in 52 games. He was a nominee for the league's Most Dedicated Player award and won the AJHL Player of the Month for February.
The Swift Current, Sask. product added seven points in seven playoff games for the Eagles and is exactly the type of strong two-way player and off-ice leader that Dailey covets.
"Again, the importance of bringing in leaders to our group and helping the leadership piece," he said of valuing junior captains in his recruiting process. "He skates exceptionally well and is another all-around player. He had over a point per game. But he also played on the penalty kill, in the last minute of play, won important faceoffs for them."
Dekowny is a right-handed centre, but also has the capability of playing on the wing for the Griffins. All total, he had 116 points in 168 AJHL games for the Eagles over three seasons after graduating from the Swift Current and Warman Wildcats elite hockey programs.
"He's a guy I'm not going to have to worry about defensively at all," said Dailey. "I can play him right away and he's going to be fine in every situation. And the expectation is he's going to help us offensively, as well. But I think his skating and physicality are two things that are going to make him successful as a first-year player."
