The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
He has eclipsed his 31 points of last season by 16 and is seventh in league scoring, yet it's not good enough for Dalton Pajak to land a spot on the Itech Conference All-Star team. The Flin Flon Bombers' second leading scorer is more that just unhappy. "I was pretty shocked and disappointed," Pajak said, following practice. "I thought I proved myself this year that I should be in the game and pretty much everyone else did, too, but I don't know, I guess I didn't." Coaches throughout the Itech Conference select who they think is all-star worthy. Some may question the selections of Battlefords' North Stars centre Shayne Cusack and Nipawin Hawks centre Josh Belair, despite neither being among the league's leading scorers. Glen Watson, coach of the Battlefords' North Stars and the Itech Conference All-Star team, said it's a good question as to why Pajak was left off. "I have no clue," said Watson, who admits it's a surprise since he voted for the Bomber. Pajak has 23 goals, which places his him fourth in the league, and 24 assists in 38 games played. "Personally, I don't understand it," said Bombers assistant coach, Brian MacDonald. "In the short time I've been here and had the opportunity to watch him play, he's just a tremendous player. He does so many little things that coaches look for and his numbers don't lie. I think it's really a travesty through the league that he's not in the all-star game." MacDonald isn't sure if what happened to Pajak could be called a snub or simply not getting the respect that he's earned. "Maybe because he's on the bottom end team that people don't think that his numbers are accurate," MacDonald explained, "but he's playing against everybody's top line and he's in all the key situations." SJHL president Laury Ryan said he's "never surprised," as it seems players are always left off. "Who's to say they are or not," Ryan said. Pajak's linemate, Tyler Beachell, who was selected, has a different opinion. "It was pretty crazy," Beachell said. "I think he's fifth in the league in goals right now and seventh in the league in scoring and he's played less games than everyone else, so considering that, I don't know how he got left off the All-Star team. "He sees the ice really well, he's not a real flashy player but if you look at his stats, I mean he scores a ton of goals," he explained. "He plays well defensively, he's a good centreman, he's just an all-round good player, he's definitely underrated."
