It took just a couple of games into the 2023-24 Wilkie Outlaws’ schedule for Battlefords product and current Warman local, Brock Harrison to make Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) history.
Entering the senior hockey campaign just three points back of setting a new all-time league scoring record, the season got off to perhaps a bit of a slow start by the defending league MVP’s standards, as he registered just a single assist opening night in a 9-4 Outlaws win over Hafford.
“Our first game we scored nine goals and I only got one point so all the guys were giving it to me for a bit there, but then this weekend we had another good one, so I guess it worked out pretty well,” Harrison recalled with a laugh.
“I’ve been playing there for 10 years, and we have a great group. The boys are always giving me a hard time, but if they’re bugging ya that means they like ya, so it was all good fun.”
Harrison would quickly rebound to explode for seven points (one goal, six assists) the very next game, to officially shatter the previous record of 369 points and set the new benchmark with 376 (127 goals, 249 assists) in just 135 games.
In addition to the raw numbers, Brock Harrison is a 1x SWHL MVP, 2x Scoring Champion, 1x Playoff MVP, and 3x Most Gentlemanly Player. (submitted photo/Aaron Harle)The accomplishment was fittingly celebrated by a friendly mauling of hugs and high-fives by teammates back at the bench, and then again post-game, with all kinds of hoots and hollers from within the locker room, culminating in a roar of thunderous applause at his impromptu faux retirement speech.
“He even joked – he took his jersey off and said ‘OK, now I can retire, we’ll see you guys!” Longtime teammate and Outlaws player/coach, Derek Keller said with a laugh. “Brock’s not worried about himself, he’s not worried about individual accolades, but we all knew [the milestone] was coming, so when he broke the record we had a little celebration in the room.”
More than the stats or individual accolades, it’s those times spent with teammates, on the ice, on the road, and in the locker room joking around that Harrison said stands out most as he thinks back on his last decade spent with the team.
“It’s pretty special that over 10 years I’ve played with 80 per cent of the guys [the entire time],” Harrison said reflecting. ‘We’ve won the league every year that I’ve been there but one, and we’ve won multiple provincial championships, so it’s just been a really good ride and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Wilkie.”
Keller is among those Outlaws teammates to play alongside Harrison throughout his time with the club, together forming one of the most lethal duos in SWHL history, as evidenced by the pair combining for the MVP and scoring title (Harrison) and Playoff MVP and Top Defenceman Award (Keller) just a season ago.
Keller said it’s been special to see what Harrison’s been able to accomplish with the team, even more so considering his later start in the league.
“He’s been one of our top guys every single year and a real rock for us,” Keller said. “It’s just a testament to what he’s been able to do at an old[er] age because I mean, the guy was almost 30 years old when he started playing for us and a lot of guys are thinking about retiring at that point, so it’s pretty impressive what he’s done.
“We’re just super fortunate that he’s decided to spend this amount of time with us, and we hope he continues to spend a little while longer.”
—
Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1
