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FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

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2017/18 A quick glance at the B.C. Division

WHL FACEOFF GAME #1

Don Hay has 720 wins as a head coach in the WHL. The Kamloops Blazers’ bench boss is second all-time in that category and chasing Ken Hodge, who holds the record with 742 wins. Rounding out the 2017-2018 Blazers’ coaching staff are assistant coaches Mike Needham, Chris Murray and Aaron Keller, goaltending coach Dan De Palma and video coach Tim O’Donovan. KTW FILE PHOTO

MARTY HASTINGS STAFF REPORTER sports@kamloopsthisweek.com

0-0-0

Quinn Benjafield, now four years removed from being a first-round pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam draft, has become familiar with the B.C. Division. The 19-year-old forward from North Vancouver was asked what his Kamloops Blazers are expecting to see this season from the Victoria Royals, Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars and Vancouver Giants. “We fit in the middle,” said Benjafield, who had 16 goals and 42 points last season. “Every team is losing some guys, but I think Kelowna is still going to be really strong this year and Victoria has a few older guys coming back, a lot of good 98s and 99s [1998- and 1999-born players]. “PG, they sold the farm last year. They’re going to be beatable this year and Van will be getting better, but like last year, it’s going to be tight and very competitive.” The Cougars claimed the B.C. Division banner in 2016-2017, finishing with 96 points, one point ahead of the Rockets and six points clear of the Blazers.

Friday, Sept. 22 Kamloops @ Kelowna 7:05 p.m. Prospera Place

The Western Hockey League regular season has finally arrived. Head coach Don Hay and the Kamloops Blazers will travel to Kelowna to play the Rockets on Friday, with the rematch scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sandman Centre on Saturday.

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Prince George loaded up on 19-year-old players for a lengthy playoff run that never materialized, as it fell 4-2 to the Portland Winterhawks in Round 1. Major roster turnover will see the Cats ice a younger team, one that will likely struggle to keep pace with the division leaders. “Both us and PG will lose some

key offensive players,” Blazers’ head coach Don Hay said. “Victoria has some high-end forwards that will score and create offence for them. Kelowna will be a pretty well-rounded team and Vancouver will be an improved team because they’ve gotten older.” Kamloops is expected to lose four of its top five scorers from a season ago — Collin Shirley (graduated), Lane Bauer (graduated), Deven Sideroff (Anaheim Ducks signee) and Rudolfs Balcers (San Jose Sharks signee). The majority of the Blazers’ blue line will return and goaltending should be a strength, with 19-yearold Dylan Ferguson replacing Connor Ingram, a 20-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning signee. Joining Hay as B.C. Division head

coaches are Richard Matvichuk (Prince George), Dan Price (Victoria), Jason Smith (Kelowna) and Jason McKee (Vancouver). Hay likened this season’s Blazers to the first group he coached in Kamloops, the 1992-1993 team that included blossoming youngsters Shane Doan, Hnat Domenichelli and Nolan Baumgartner. “They continued to develop and, with good leadership, they got better,” Hay said. “Our older guys have to take ownership and responsibility to help the younger players get better. “You always want to get into the playoffs. That’s always our goal. But you’ve got to be careful where you place the expectations. With a young group, it’s about standards.” Benjafield is among those ready to embrace the task of getting less experienced players up to speed on what Hay expects. “I would like to get a letter this year, but there are a lot of guys that deserve letters in the room,” Benjafield said. “If I get a letter or not, I’m going to act the same way in the room and on the bench. “I’m going to lead the young guys and be talking all the time and helping everybody out.”

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Sept. 22 Oct. 4 Oct. 6 Oct. 8 Oct. 11 Oct. 27 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 10 Nov. 15 Nov. 17 Nov. 18 Nov. 24 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Dec. 1 Dec. 3 Dec. 29

vs. Kelowna 7 p.m. vs. Prince George 7 p.m. vs. Victoria 7 p.m. vs. Seattle 5 p.m. vs. Calgary 7 p.m. vs. Everett 7 p.m. vs. Tri-Cities 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver 7 p.m. vs. Red Deer 7 p.m. vs. Prince George 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver 7 p.m. vs. Lethbridge 7 p.m. vs. Medicine Hat 7 p.m. vs. Prince George 7 p.m. vs. Seattle 7 p.m. vs. Everett 7 p.m. vs. Kootenay 3 p.m. vs. Kelowna 7 p.m.

Jan. 1 Jan. 6 Jan. 7 Jan. 9 Jan. 16 Jan. 26 Jan. 27 Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 7 Feb. 12 Feb. 16 Feb. 17 Feb. 28 Mar. 2 Mar. 9 Mar. 14 Mar. 16

vs. Victoria 7 p.m. vs. Victoria 7 p.m. vs. Tri-Cities 5 p.m. vs. Spokane 7 p.m. vs. Lethbridge 7 p.m. vs. Portland 7 p.m. vs. Portland 7 p.m. vs. Medicine Hat 7 p.m. vs. Calgary 7 p.m. vs. Spokane 7 p.m. vs. Edmonton 2 p.m. vs. Kelowna 7 p.m. vs. Prince George 7 p.m. vs. Victoria 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver 7 p.m. vs. Kelowna 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver 7 p.m. vs. Prince George 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

2017/18

Forward thinking MARTY HASTINGS

STAFF REPORTER

sports@kamloopsthisweek.com

Jermaine Loewen earned his keep this summer in Kelowna, cleaning rental cars and helping customers in need at the airport. The 6-foot-4, 221pound forward from Arborg, Man., by way of May Pen, Jamaica, said it was a relaxing few months, outside of the strenuous training regimen he undertook. He had plenty of time to think. The fan favourite came to the realization he is in the same boat as several of his veteran teammates: If I don’t play well, hungry younger players are going to eat up my ice time. “I’ve got that pressure, but at the same time, I feel like, right

sistent player up front that can play in all situations.” Luc Smith, a 19-year-old centre from Stony Plain, Alta., will be searching for consistency, along with Loewen, in his effort to be an impact player. The 18-year-old group was bolstered by Swiss import Justin Sigrist, a 5-foot-11, 166-pound left-winger who is adapting quickly to North American hockey. Travis Walton and Scott Mahovlich, both sizeable forwards at 6-foot-2 and more than 184 pounds, and 6-foot, 170-pound Erik Miller, a player the organization has been waiting on to break out, round out the 18-year-old contingent. “I think it’s my time to give more to the team and show that I

positioning within the team,” Blazers’ head coach Don Hay said. “There are guys that have earned the opportunity to move up.” Garrett Pilon, 19, enters the season as the team’s most explosive player, following a 65-point campaign that led to him signing with the Washington Capitals in March. Likely to occupy top-six roles are 20-year-olds Nic Holowko and Nick Chyzowski, each of whom impressed in training-camp and pre-season action, and 19-year-old Quinn Benjafield. “That’s going to be a telling tale for our group, the older guys, guys like Benjafield,” Hay said. “We’re really hoping this is the year he breaks through and becomes a real con-

now, I’m not thinking about it,” said Loewen, who had six goals last season, a drop from eight in 2015-2016. “I went into it [last season] and tried to be a different player than I really am. That really hurt me during the season. At times, I was spectacular and, at times, I was really average.” Kamloops is expected to lose four of its five top scorers from last season, a quartet that combined to register 288 points. The Blazers, aiming to score by committee in 2017-2018, are not likely to make a deep playoff run this season, so promising younger players will be afforded every opportunity to earn minutes, with an eye on the future. “The competition is really strong for

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6-foot-3 Ryley Appelt and 6-foot-1 Carson Denomie, big-body forwards champing at the bit to play majorjunior hockey after successful midget seasons in 2016-2017. Two soon-to-be 16-year-olds — Connor Zary and Kyrell Sopotyk — impressed at training camp and in the pre-season. The highly skilled, speedy Saskatchewan products have done nothing but make strides, but neither are draft eligible until

2020 and another year of development in midget, which worked for the likes of Sideroff and Pilon, might be in the cards. “When they come in at 17, they just look bigger and stronger and can play in different situations,” Hay said. “The young guys have to really show they’re ready physically and mentally. Can we find room for them to play in skilled positions? They have to beat out players. It’s up to them to do that.”

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can play a bigger role and just be that guy,” Miller said. “There’s always competition every year, but for sure more this year because we’ve got a lot more younger guys pushing from the bottom.” The Blazers are high on their 17-year-old crop, led by Jackson Shepard and Brodi Stuart, both of whom have potential to unseat elder statesmen. Rounding out the 17-year-old group are

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FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

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FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

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2017/18 BLAZERS’ BLUE LINE ANCHORED BY RETURNEES MARTY HASTINGS

STAFF REPORTER

sports@kamloopsthisweek.com

Joe Gatenby is the elder statesman on the Kamloops Blazers’ blue line, a 20-year-old WHL veteran who is embracing a leadership role. While the Blazers are returning most of their defencemen, it’s still a young group and the Kelowna product is cautious in his assessment. “There’s going to be a lot of improvement and learning throughout the season,” Gatenby said. “You can say [the top six] is set, but I’ve been here long enough. Stuff is never set. “It’s what can you do for me now and it’s about how guys are playing.” The incumbent top four — left-shot D-men Ondrej Vala, 19, and Luke Zazula, 17, and right-shot rearguards Nolan Kneen, 18, and Gatenby — seem likely to be accompanied

KTW FILE PHOTO

Joe Gatenby, entering his final WHL season, is expected to log big minutes on the Kamloops Blazers’ blue line.

on the back end by returnees Devan Harrison, a left-shot 17-year-old, and Tylor Ludwar, a right-shot 18-year-old. Kamloops brass is high on a trio that impressed throughout training camp — Sean Strange, 17, and 16-year-olds Quinn Schmiemann

and Jimmy Darby. Darby, a big-bodied bruiser at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, has a bright future, but is likely still a year away from cracking the team and has not yet signed with the Blazers. “He’s obviously got a really big frame for a 16-year-old,” Gatenby said.

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“I really liked what he was doing out there, making solid decisions and playing hard hockey. I think he has a future in this league.” The Blazers would have to deem Schmiemann, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound native of Wilcox, Sask, ready to play at least 40 games in 2017-2018, the league minimum for a 16-year-old. Strange, a 6-foot-1, 187pound Saanich product, spoke to KTW during training camp. “This is my dream, to play in this league,” he said. “It’s super exciting to be this close to making it. I want it so bad. “I was playing tier 2 throughout my entire life, so it was kind of hard to get noticed. But I got drafted in the 10th round [of the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft] and just went from there, worked hard every day and got better.” Kamloops traded away a pair of defencemen — Dawson Davidson, 19,

and Conner McDonald, 18 — last season in deals designed to upgrade depth at forward, bringing in Luc Smith and Lane Bauer. The plan worked up front, especially with Bauer, who notched 31 points in 31 games with the Blazers to finish his WHL career. But the young, inexperienced blue line the Blazers were left with was victimized at times in the playoffs, unable to keep tabs on Kelowna Rockets’ playmakers such as Reid Gardiner and Dillon Dube. “Hopefully, a guy like Zazula, that played a lot of minutes as a 16-year-old, will be a better player,” Blazers’ head coach Don Hay said. “Nolan Kneen will be a better player. Joe Gatenby is a real competitive guy on the back end and with Ondrej Vala, with his experience at world junior and his contract [with the Dallas Stars], our depth

should be good on the back end.” Dan Gatenby, a 19-yearold defenceman and Joe’s younger brother, was dealt to the Tri-City Americans in June and Dallas Valentine, a top-four D-man last season, graduated from junior hockey. Depth on the blue line is expected to be among the team’s stronger points this season, but much of the back end’s success will depend on the development of the younger defencemen, whom the eldest Gatenby brother plans to mentor before he moves on. “I want to be a leader on this team and be a guy the coaches can look to,” he said. “I remember, coming into the league, the guys that were good to me and the guys that weren’t pretty clearly. It meant a lot when someone would reach out to me. Anything I can do to help, I’ll do.”

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FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

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2017/18 Ferguson Era begins MARTY HASTINGS STAFF REPORTER sports@kamloopsthisweek.com

If Connor Ingram is Brett Favre, then Dylan Ferguson would love to be Aaron Rodgers. Ingram established himself as one of the greatest goaltenders in Kamloops Blazers’ history, recording a franchise-best save percentage of .922 in 2015-2016 and breaking his own record the next season with a .927 mark. The 20-year-old backstop from Imperial, Sask., was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in April and will likely play pro hockey this season. Quirky quips and spectacular saves, both timely and entertaining, made him a fan favourite. He leaves sizeable goalie skates to fill. But his successor, Ferguson, has pedigree, much like first-round NFL Draft pick Rodgers did when he was tasked with replacing perhaps the most beloved quarterback in Green Bay Packers’ history. The Lantzville product who turned 19 on Sept. 20 is looking to carve his own niche in Blazers’ lore. “Connor was a great goalie for this team,” Ferguson said. “I looked up to him a lot. He was like a silent mentor to me. He taught me a lot of things. “But I’m not going to try to resemble my game after his,” Ferguson continued. “I’m going to do what I can do for the team.”

Ferguson’s rise from relatively unknown backup WHL goalie to NHL Draft pick bordered on meteoric. While Ingram was away at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Toronto and Montreal last season, Ferguson took over and started 15 consecutive games, compiling a record of 9-4-0-2 and a .931 save percentage to put himself on the NHL Draft radar. Within a span of 48 hours in June, he was drafted 194th overall by the Dallas Stars, traded to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and hopping a plane to Sin City for development camp. Ferguson made an impression on Vegas Golden Knights’ brass in California last week, posting a 34-save shutout against the Los Angeles Kings in a rookie exhibition game. “It’s been a bunch of whirlwinds,” said Ferguson, who was sporting a shiny new Golden Knights hat on Tuesday. “It’s a great feeling and everything came pretty fast. “I’ve been preparing for it [to be the No. 1 guy in Kamloops] for about two years. I knew it was going to happen. I’m ready to get things going with this team.” If he continues to progress, there’s no reason why he can’t win over Blazer Nation like Rodgers won over the Cheeseheads. “Dylan needs to be his own person, just like Connor needed to be his own person,” Blazers’ goalie coach Dan De Palma said. “Let’s just live in the moment.”

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