(Golden Sheaf profile written by Jamie Neugebauer/SJHL Co-Director of Media)
For Kindersley Klippers forward Van Eger, hockey and hard work have always gone hand in hand.
Whether it’s grinding out a shift in overtime or long days on the family farm near Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan, Eger’s approach is simple: stay consistent, stay committed, and never take a day off.
Eger’s family has farmed crops, specifically canola, lentils and durum, as well as livestock, for five generations.
That steady, no-nonsense mindset has become a defining trait for the 20-year-old forward. His leadership and work ethic have helped propel the Klippers into contention, and much of that drive can be traced back to his upbringing on the family farm.
“We’ve leaned more toward the crop side of things (lately),” Eger explained. “We grow canola, lentils, and durum. It’s a small town, and I always grew up playing hockey in the local rink with my brother and sister. There was never too much going on in town, so we helped take care of the rink. I’d get off the bus after school and go straight there every day.”
Eger, 20, notes his time on the farm instilled in him the same structure and discipline he brings to the rink. “There are no days off on the farm,” he said. “You’ve got to give it 100 percent every single day. There’s always something to fix, and that carries over to hockey — always giving 100 per cent, no days off, just trying to be a leader too.”
Eger won the Saskatchewan U18 AAA championship with Notre Dame in 2022, and has spent time in junior with the Swift Current Broncos and Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, as well as with the Notre Dame Junior Hounds, before his arrival with the Klippers.
From driving tractors to cleaning bins and fixing equipment alongside his dad and brother, Eger learned early on that consistency and teamwork were key. “It’s just like hockey,” he said. “You have to put in the effort every single day to make things work.”
That attitude has shaped his leadership role in Kindersley. “We have a great team, and this is one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on,” Eger said. “Sometimes you have to say things you don’t want to say, but they have to be said. I like being a leader, but I’m also the kind of guy who likes to keep things light, too. It’s a lot of fun being a leader — it happens fast, but I love it.”
Eger credits both his family and his small-town roots for that leadership mentality. “I think right from the get-go I (try to be a leader on teams I am on),” he reflected. “That came from my brother and my parents. They always told me to try to make others better instead of focusing on myself. There’s a part of me that really wants to lead a team. I want to be ‘that guy.’”
Whether it’s helping his team push through overtime battles or getting up before dawn on the family farm, Eger approaches every challenge with the same mindset — steady, hardworking, and humble.
As he continues his final junior season with the Klippers, it’s clear that his Saskatchewan roots are more than a backdrop — they’re the foundation of the player and person he’s become.
“Just like on the farm,” Eger said, “you give it everything you’ve got, every single day.”