The 2024-2025 Alberta Junior Hockey League season came to an end last weekend for the Olds Grizzlys.
Despite increasing their win total from 10 last season up to 15 this time around, it still wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs.
One bright spot for the local AJHL club this season was the play of 21-year-old goaltender Ben Dardis from Minnesota.
He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player during the Grizzlys annual awards banquet last month. Dardis says “I was just extremely happy and honoured to be named that. You know, that could’ve gone to a lot of guys on our team because we have a lot of hard workers, a lot of talented guys on our squad. You could have picked anyone, you know, so I was just happy and honoured to take the award.”
Dardis went 4-0 in shootouts for Olds this season. He stopped a total of 22 of the 23 breakaway attempts by the opposition in those shootouts. He says “I like to come out and challenge, take away space to the net right away when they look to shoot and then make sure I’m tracking back at the right speed so when they make a move, be patient and get back to the post when they make their move.”
During the jersey auction at the awards banquet, Dardis mentioned that he is a triplet – and they are all athletes either on the ice or on the floor. He says “one is identical and one is fraternal. The identical one (Grant) actually plays (defence) for the Portage Terriers of the MJHL (Manitoba Junior Hockey League). I think they are gearing up right now to make a playoff run out in the M-J. The fraternal one (Jack) he is playing lacrosse down in Chicago.”
Dardis recorded three shut out performances this season which is the most by any Grizzly netminder since Marc Boulanger had 5 in the 2009-2010 campaign. Dardis blanked Drumheller, Fort McMurray, and Camrose with 38, 37, and 61 saves respectively in those victories. He ended his one AJHL campaign with the 11th best save percentage in the league at .903. He was also 11th in minutes played and finished with a record of 8-19-1 with a 4.24 goals against average.
Listen to 96.5 The Ranch’s conversation with Ben Dardis.
