DAILY TOWNSMAN / DAILY BULLETIN
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
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PAGE 13
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Ice continue to keep winning tradition alive Proud to Support TRE VOR CR AWLEY Sports Editor
Turnover is an inevitable part of major-junior hockey, whether it be the players or coaches—both of which have opportunities to pursue professional careers in the game. However, the Kootenay Ice returned a familiar face to the organization when Ryan McGill came back for his second tenure as head coach the club last year. McGill led the franchise as coach for five years between 1997-2002, relocating with the team from Edmonton to Cranbrook. During his first tenure, he coached the team to two WHL championships and a Memorial Cup title—junior hockey’s most coveted prize. After 2002, McGill embarked on a professional career, making stops as head coach in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, which morphed into the Quad City Flames. Eventually, he caught the attention of the brass at the NHL level with the Calgary Flames, and landed on the bench as an assistant to Brent Sutter for two years. However, the Flames chose not to renew his contract, and he spent a year outside of the game working in the oil and gas industry before Jeff Chynoweth brought him back into the Kootenay Ice fold. It certainly didn’t take long for him to make his mark back in the WHL. With a youthful team under him, the Ice had a tough first half of the season, with only 10 wins at the Christmas break. However, Kootenay caught fire in the second half, earning 25 wins, which was enough to secure a spot for their 15th consecutive playoff appearance. At the end of the playoffs, McGill was voted the WHL coach of the year. Kootenay returns a roster this year laden with players who know what it takes to win after taking a team that, at one point, was in the WHL basement into the post-season. Sam Reinhart was named team captain in the offseaon, and he leads by example, posting 35 goals, 50 assists for 85 points last season. It’s the young Kootenay sniper’s draft year, and there will be many eyes from the NHL watching him. Reinhart, who broke franchise scoring records in his rookie season, has watched his two older brothers get picked up in previous NHL drafts, and now it will be his turn this year. Many scouting reports have put him on top of the 2014 draft class. On the wing with Reinhart is teammate Jaedon Descheneau, the diminutive 18-year-old who put up 78 points last year. He was eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft last June, but was passed over. After missing the end of the season and the playoffs with a broken foot, Levi Cable has returned
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and will be a bigger piece in the offensive puzzle of the team this year. Collin Shirley, after a productive rookie season of 9 goals and 15 assists for 24 points, is heading into his sophomore year and will be draft-eligible. He was cut from Team Canada’s roster for the Ivan Hlinka tournament, and he’s eager to prove to Hockey Canada scouts that he can play at the highest level. Reining team rookie of the year and the playoff MVP Luke Philp will be a key part of the offence this year, while Austin Vetterl, Zach McPhee, Jon Martin, Kyle O’Connor and Jeff Hubic will take on bigger and more diverse roles in the lineup. The roster also includes a few holdovers from training camp, as Hudson Elynuik, Matt Alfaro and Zach Zborosky are still trying to earn their full-time spots on the team. The defence took a hit with the graduation of former team captain Joey Leach, who jumped up into the AHL with the Oklahoma City Barons. Jagger Dirk, as the overager, is the de facto leader who will have to mentor a younger defensive corps. Dirk, Matt Thomas, Tanner Faith, Landon Peel and Clint Filbrandt are the returning WHL veterans, while Troy Murray, Dylan Overdyk and Jordan Steenbergen are the remaining blueliners held over from camp. Faith, who was paired up with Leach and improved leaps and bounds last year, made it onto the 2014 CSS Futures list as players to
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ICE
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watch, and he will be counted on to be a key player back there. Kootenay is also awaiting the arrival of Russian import Rinat Valiev, an 18-year-old defenceman who played in the USHL last year. Valiev attended an NHL camp with the Dallas Stars earlier in September, but is currently dealing with visa issues back in Moscow. In goal, there is NY Rangers draft pick Mackenzie Skapski, who was a large reason for Kootenay’s turnaround last season. Skapski, who has attended goaltender camps with Hockey Canada over the last two summers, ended last season with a 2.78 goals against average and a 0.910 save percentage. Pushing Skapski in net is 18-yearold Wyatt Hoflin, who got in some games in the preseason, and will do his best to challenge for some more time within the crease during the regular season. New faces on rosters across the league are a result of turnover, which is inevitable in major-junior hockey, but that’s what makes the game so exciting, because the WHL landscape is constantly shifting. However, the Ice always seem to field a competitive team, and have begun their newest campaign to chase their 16th straight spot for the 2014 post-season. The Ice play 36 games at Western Financial Place this season, and it’s time to fill the rink and cheer on the boys as they take the first steps on the road to another successful season.
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