Sahvan Khaira may not be as famous his NHL-starring brother Jujhar, but, for the next 10 days he’ll get a chance to make a name for himself on one of hockey’s biggest stages.
Suiting up on the blueline for the WHL-champion Swift Current Broncos, the younger Khaira, who at age 20 is four years his brother’s junior, will look to cap his season with a Mastercard Memorial Cup title.
Before the tournament gets underway, though, he plans to call on his brother for some last-minute advice.
“My brother and I are really close and he’s in the situation where I can go to him for advice,” Sahvan said in an interview with On Point on Sportsnet 650 Friday. “I really look forward to hearing what he has to say when he sees me play. I look up to him a lot and I really do look forward to getting his advice.”
Jujhar has appeared in 94 games for the Edmonton Oilers over the last three seasons, including 69 in the 2017-18 season. Before that, he played in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, ironically the team Sahvan and the Broncos defeated to win the WHL title.
Sahvan is coming off his best WHL season, picking up six goals, 26 points and a plus-16 rating in 65 games before adding another seven points in the playoffs. He now has nine goals and 57 points to his name in 245 WHL games over four seasons.
When asked what sparked his breakout season, Sahvan said having more experience has made a big difference.
“I think just confidence and growing as a player,” he said. “You’re older in the league, you’re more confident in your abilities and we’ve had such a tremendous team, it’s so easy to play with these guys.”
While Jujhar was a third-round pick by the Oilers in 2012, Sahvan has gone undrafted so far. He still has one more year of WHL-eligibility remaining, and he said he hasn’t thought much about a future professional career yet.
“I’ve never really thought about the draft,” Sahvan admitted. “Obviously, I was interested in being drafted into the NHL like most kids with the dream. But it’s not something I harp on.
“It will be nice to get some exposure (at the Memorial Cup). We’ve come together as a team and we’ve made it far, and we’re just hoping to keep this thing going.”
The Broncos begin their quest for a Memorial Cup title in Regina Saturday at 4 p.m. ET against QMJHL-champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. All games can be seen on Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW.
