Harmon Laser-Hume spent parts of two seasons with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats to begin his junior hockey career in the 2020-21 season that was impacted by COVID-19, then the following season the Rossland, B.C. product, who moved to Creston Valley three years ago, won five of his seven games with the Thunder Cats and posted a 1.86 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. His play helped him get signed by the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Nipawin Hawks.
Laser-Hume is in his second season in the SJHL, but now thriving with the Flin Flon Bombers. He’s one of the best goalies in the league and is second in wins with 21. He has a 2.49 GAA and a .918 SP. His debut with the Bombers was a 34-save shutout against the Melfort Mustangs. In September, Lase-Hume was named the Bombers Player of the Month after he appeared in four games and posted a 2-1-0-1 record along with a 1.48 GAA (second best in SJHL) & .950 SV% (second Best in SJHL). Laser-Hume talked about his season with the KIJHL.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
KIJHL: Talk about how your season has been?
HLH: It’s been unreal here so far with amazing community support and a great team in front of me. I can’t take all the credit for the numbers I’ve got. Lots of my teammates are willing to do the hard stuff for me like blocking shots. It’s been a really good year and I have definitely learned a lot.
KIJHL: What have you liked about the way you have played this season?
HLH: I’ve had some ups and downs for sure, but I like the way I have bounced back. I haven’t had too many bad games and it’s finding some consistency and being confident in the way I play. I’m doing what I can to stop the puck and how I’m doing it has been working.
KIJHL: After your first season in Nipawin, what did you focus on during your offseason training to improve?
HLH: I worked on small aspects to have consistency. The big save doesn’t matter unless you make the little ones first. Just working on the small stuff and in-tight plays.
KIJHL: In what areas have you become a better goalie?
HLH: My patience and impulse side has been a lot better. I’ve improved my preparation for games and am more confident.
KIJHL: How would you describe your playing style?
HLH: My goalie coach says I’m kind of like Sergei Bobrovsky. I’m athletic, but I can be calm when it’s needed. I was trying to figure out where my style of play fit, but I definitely nailed it on the head this year.
KIJHL: How did your time with Creston Valley help you be ready to play Junior A hockey?
HLH: I was 17 my first year and still in high school and being around older players helped me mature a little earlier than most. I also got used to the junior schedule and practicing for a longer time, as well as getting into the systems as I started as a backup to Jaden Little. He was 20 when I got there and was a really good role model for me and I learned how to conduct myself day-to-day, that consistency and the guys know what they will get from you each day.