The future looks bright for two young hockey players from Meadow Lake. The two-day Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft took place May 6 and 7, and among those to make the cut was local player Kai Genereaux who was selected in the sixth round (120th overall) by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. “It’s a big accomplishment, especially considering I come from such a small town,” Genereaux told Northern Pride. “I have put a lot of hard work in behind the scenes, and I am very proud of what I have achieved.”
This past season, Genereaux was a member of the Edge Hockey School’s U15 prep team. “I remember when Kai first wanted to play hockey – U9 and he looked like a little baby giraffe on the ice,” Genereaux’s father, Frank, posted via social media. “Shortly after, and late one night, I peeked in his room and he was sitting quietly on his bed. He had taken out his hockey cards, placed the players in their positions and taped them on his wall. He just sat there and stared. I wondered what was going through his head. That’s when I knew he was in love with the game and would learn how to skate and keep up with the team. He made it happen.” In a subsequent interview, Frank Genereaux said his son has worked hard to reach this milestone. “We are excited to see where he’s at,” he said. “I’m proud of the discipline and determination it took to get him to this point, and that he keeps pushing forward. He’s managed to stay humble in the process, and is an all around great kid. It means we are doing something right. Hockey wasn’t on the radar before we moved to Meadow Lake. Once we moved here, he realized quickly he would be bored in the winter because all of his friends were busy. He first played with the U9 Snipers, but didn’t yet know how to skate so he learned as he went. He was determined to play and caught on. He spent a lot of time at the outdoor rink.”
The COVID-19 pandemic soon hit, however, and Genereaux could not play organized hockey for an entire year. “He played U11, got cut for the carded team, but was able to play at home,” Frank Genereaux continued. “He played U13 for the Stampeders, U13 ‘AA’ for North West Stars, U14 for the Lloydminster Athletics and signed up for U15 ‘AA’ tryouts, but got a call in early August asking him to go for a skate in Calgary for the U15 Edge prep team.” This coming season, Genereaux has signed with the U18 ‘AAA’ Moose Jaw Warriors.
“I moved to Meadow Lake when I was younger and discovered it was a hockey community,” Kai Genereaux reiterated. “I started later than all the other kids, but, when I got on the ice for the first time, I fell in love with the game. I keep going because it’s something I genuinely love and enjoy. I am really passionate about it, and I love making new friends because of the sport. It’s just an awesome sport. Thank you, Meadow Lake and thank you to all my coaches, teammates, friends and family, and congratulations to my good friend, Kacy, for also being drafted.”
Kacy, of course, is Kacy Turberfield, the other Meadow Lake athlete included in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft. Turberfield was elected in the fifth round (109th overall) by the Portland Winterhawks. This past season, he was a member of the U15 ‘AA’ North West Stars out of North Battleford. “I was drafted just after lunchtime that day, and I wasn’t really paying attention to my phone because I was making lunch and just chilling,” Turberfield said. “All of a sudden my phone just started blowing up. I found out, and it was pretty exciting. Up next, I will go to their camp whenever that is and, going forward, I will play my first year of ‘AAA’. They could call me up in the second year, but it all depends on how I play and what they’re looking for. I should start up with them in a couple years ”
Turberfield began his minor hockey career in the Meadow Lake system. He played U7 through U11 locally before moving on to U13 ‘AA’ in North Battleford, as well as two years of U15 ‘AA’. Earlier this year, he was listed by Hockey Saskatchewan and the Sask First high-performance program among the province’s top-36 male U15 players, meaning he is close to representing Team Saskatchewan at the 2027 Canada Winter Games.
Another tryout camp is scheduled for July, with the top players eventually narrowed down to 18. “That’s going to be a really good camp,” he said. “I hope to earn my spot on Team Saskatchewan and go to Quebec for the Games.” Players who were eligible for the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft were 2011-born players who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Players not selected in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL clubs at any time thereafter. “I played in Meadow Lake from U9 to U11, and in Battleford from U13 to U15, and I just want to thank all the coaches who have helped me along the way and who made me a better person overall,” Turberfield said. “I’ve always had great coaches and great teammates. They all helped me grow and to become better, and that’s why I am where I am today.”