The Kootenay Ice will begin their 2011 WHL Exhibition season with the 32-man roster that emerged from the club's training camp that featured 61 players.
The ICE have added the following players to their exhibition roster:
Mackenzie Skapski 17 Abbotsford, BC Goaltender
Wyatt Hoflin 16 Spruce Grove, AB Goaltender
Jeff Hubic 17 Regina, SK Defenseman
Mike Simpson 17 Abbotsford, BC Defenseman
Spencer Wand 16 Saskatoon, SK Defenseman
Dylan Schellenberg 18 Drumheller, AB Defenseman / Forward
Jared Iron 17 Canoe Narrows, SK Forward
Kurt Johnas 17 Winnipeg, MB Forward
Sam Reinhart 16 West Vancouver, BC Forward
Jesse Wood-Schatz 16 Sherwood Park, AB Forward
Luke Philp 16 Canmore, AB Forward
Jonathon Martin 16 Winnipeg, MB Forward
Jaedon Descheneau 16 Edmonton, AB Forward
Collin Shirley 15 Saskatoon, SK Forward
The 14 above are in addition to the club's current roster of 18 players from last season's club. Max Reinhart, Nathan Lieuwen, Joey Leach, Joe Antilla, James Martin and Drew Czerwonka will all attend NHL camps.
Brett Teskey G
Luke Paulsen D
Jagger Dirk D
John Niebrandt D
Adam Rossignol F
Brendan Hurley F
Elgin Pearce F
Dylan McKinlay F
Eric Benoit F
Jesse Ismond F
Injured List:
F Brock Montgomery - Sports Hernia (October)
D Tanner Faith
F Levi Cable
Both Cable and Faith were injured in training camp. Their prognosis is unknown. The roster is set at 32 but by my count there's 33 names. Montgomery's injury is likely the difference but Tanner Faith's name is conspicuously absent. His injury could be worse than first thought.
Some thoughts....
Out at the lake for the last gasp of summer vacation so I only managed three sessions including the Blue-White game.
On Sunday Team Blue jumped out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Dylan Schellenberg (18) and Eric Benoit, with two markers before Team White clawed their way back. Jackson Elyuik (16), James Martin, Garick Gray (17)and Jonathon Martin (16 - no relation to James, though they're from the same hometown of Winnipeg)who scored with less than a minute left to give Team White the 4-3 come from behind win.
Bronson Ammeter, an Ice draft pick from May started for Team White and surrendered 3 goals while Mackenize Skapski came on halfway through and shut the door.
Camp invite Jayden Sittler, 15, started for team blue and gave up one goal before Wyatt Hoflin, 16, gave up three goals to take the loss.
Over $1900 was raised for the Cranbrook/Kimberley United Way.
Had a long look at the club's first round pick from the 2011 Bantam Draft F Colin Shirley. Listed at 5'10" 135lbs when he was drafted the Saskatoon product looked like he's put weight and inches on since then. Good hands, speed and size. All the right tools to play at this level next season.
For this year's roster there looks to be a three-way race for two spots on the blueline. D Mike Simpson, 17, Spencer Wand, 16, and Jeff Hubic, 17. Dylan Schellenberg, 18, can play both forward and defence but looked stronger up front from what I seen. No Tanner Faith tells me that it's a three-way battle (unless Schellenberg plays back). Simpson is the front-runner. He and Wand had a good tilt in the Blue-White game with Simpson getting the clear decision. Wand has played well and may have moved ahead of Hubic on the pre-season chart. Exhibition season will tell.... Simpson, 17, has to be in the Brayden McNabb-range of size and weight. Listed last season at 6'4" 200lbs, he's bigger and stronger this season. Foot-speed will need to be addressed but McNabb was very similar in his development three years ago.
The Forwards had some names push ahead on the pre-season chart over the five-day camp. Going in I thought Philp and Descheneau were the top two 16-year-olds but following camp Jonothan Martin moved ahead in my rankings. Jakson Elyniuk and Jesse Wood-Schatz also muddied the waters. For arguments sake we'll take Sam Reinhart out of the mix. He's got a roster spot.... Kurt Johnas played better than Jared Iron from what I saw. Iron was well ahead last season but Johnas played well.
Where I thought Cable, Iron, Philp, Descheneau were the top four guys (plus Reinhart) for five forward spots, Cable's injury and the play of Martin, Johnas, Wood-Shatz and Schellenberg have thrown that theory out the window.
With Cable out and Reinhart already there, here's my rankings:
Martin
Schellenberg
Descheneau
Johnas
Iron
Philp
Wood-Shatz
The exhibition season should clear the air somewhat.
In goal I didn't see much of the 15-year-old goaltenders but was impressed by camp invite Jayden Sittler. The much-ballyhooed four-way goaltending problem, if Lieuwen is returned, got clearer on the weekend in my opinion. Skapski clearly identified himself as ready to challenge incumbent Brett Teskey whether Lieuwen returns or not. Wyatt Hoflin, 16, is still with the club but struggled with rebound control.
At camps end my rankings:
Lieuwen
Skapski
Teskey
Hoflin
During training camp two U.S.-born brothers - Justin Derlago, 17, and Riley Derlago, 16, impressed. With the former playing well in his last appearance Saturday. Neither played in the Blue-White game but Justin Derlago looked like he could play at this level perhaps next season. He was once considered a possible high-end Bantam draft pick in 2009 but wasn't selected. Could've been NCAA aspirations being from St. Paul, MN. He played with the Winnipeg Midget Thrashers last season.
Also F Garrick Gray, 17, played well in the Blue-White game and notched a goal. He played at the Banff Hockey Academy last season.
As for the veterans, the usual suspects stood out. Max Reinhart was lights-out and will put this team on his back and carry then offensively this season. James Martin will shine in the big role on the blueline this season.
Still lots of questions though for the upcoming season but, especially following a WHL Championship, there's lots of time to let the chips fall where they may.
And I was remiss in not mentioning that D Bryce Perpelitz of Cranbrook looks to have made the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs out of their training camp that concluded this weekend. Perpelitz, 17, notched 8 goals and 13 assists in 48 games last season with the Kimberley Dynamiters.
Kootenay opens up the exhibition season Thursday in Tri-City for the Ams' pre-season tournament.
9 comments:
My understanding is that Cable only has a minor ankle injury which shouldn't put him out of the running for a forward spot, only off the ice for a few days.
Jeff,
Where did Gray go from Camp, I watched the entire camp, is he a forward or does he play defense. He had points in both spots.
Was he a draft pick that I missed. How big was he listed at.
I thought Matt Martin looked really good all week as well. Not very tall, but skates really well and smart.
I would be very surprised if he doesn't catch-on with a Junior A club, either in Alberta or in his home province of Manitoba depending on import eligibility requirements.
He was lights-out at camp, I thought. He may have been listed by the Ice considering he played in the Blue-White game. Otherwise I wouldn't be surprised to see him snapped up by another WHL club.
As for Cable, that would explain the crutches as I seen him only briefly. Still no word on Faith however.
who was lights out Martin or Gray,
what league does "Banff Academy" play in.
I hope you mean Matt Murray, not Martin, From my count there were only two Martin's at camp. Murray, to me, stood out more than any other 15 yr old and I think he has a bright future (I hope).
yup that is who I ment.
I meant Gray and if I'm not mistaken Banff Academy Midget plays in the Heritage Junior B league in Alberta and also plays the likes of The Edge in Calgary. Perhaps POE and OHA in the Okanagan also.
We watched almost every ice time in training camp and thought Matt Murray was easily the best 1996 prospect.
I agree with your assessment of Murray. But I think that Steenburgen gave him a run for top D prospect at camp. Both skate well and move the puck. Steenburgen's all offence.
Kootenay's top three picks from last April's draft should all play next season.
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