A farmer from La Broquerie and his family will be cheering on their son who is playing in the 2024 Centennial Cup in Oakville Ontario.

Ben Jowett says his second son, Briggs has been playing hockey since he was four years old, starting on the ice in La Broquerie playing for the Habs.

Briggs has been on teams that won provincial and league championships and then moved up to play for the Eastman Selects.

Jowett then describes what happened in 2020.

“It was a funny year, that was a COVID year, so a lot of the hockey season was canceled, but Briggs kept training hard and was ready for the fall when he attended some camps and ended up making the OCN Blizzard team (MJHL) playing in The Pas for his first year. So that was a big step for him.”

Jowett says then his son moved to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey Leage where he started with the Notre Dame Hounds in fall of 2023. When it seemed they wouldn’t make the playoffs, the team traded away their 20-year-olds.

“Briggs was looking for some playoff action, so we were able to move him to Ontario and the CCHL (Central Canada Hockey League). At the time they were looking for a big physical defenseman and Briggs fit the bill. So, we were able to find a good home for him in Ontario and that team had playoff potential at the time.”

Briggs continued to prove he was worthy of the trade, Jowett brags on his son.

“He's very hard to play against. He competes very hard, so coaches like him. He's physical, he's strong, and he's the type of kid that you want on your team. He's not the type of kid you want to be playing against. He also brings a lot of leadership to the group, he's a 20-year-old and so, he mentors some of the younger players. He has played over 140 Junior A games, so he’s got a lot of game experience under his belt.”

As for what’s ahead for Briggs, Jowett says there are some colleges interested in him, but right now, Briggs hasn’t committed to any yet.

Jowett says they will be watching their son play online. “We have a grain farm and it's a very busy time for us with spring seeding. I mean, I'd love to be there, but we only have a one-month window to plant the crops. I talked to Briggs about it, he understands, and we'll definitely be watching online.”

Briggs is currently playing for the Navan Grads, who won their first game 5-1 on Friday, over College Francais from Quebec, where he received a point for an assist.

Jowett adds, “We'll see how things shake out this week at the at the Centennial Cup, it’ll be interesting to see how the teams do, and I'm sure it'll be some high-level competition, that's for sure.”

Briggs and the Navan Grads next game is on Sunday, May 12, when they’ll be playing the Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL). Briggs will not be playing the Winkler Flyers in the opening round. The Navan Grads are in Group A while the Flyers are in Group B.