10 WHL Things, Volume V
Photo: Graham Construction
By Glen Erickson
It’s beginning to feel like we’re really in full swing now with three weekends of Western Hockey League action in the books. Pretty soon, sadly, the snow will fly, and we’ll know for certain we’re “all in” until next spring. Proceed at your own risk…
1 – It’s A Business – Some good news out of Swift Current last week as the Broncos brass got together for its annual state of the union, so to speak. “One of our goals has been for the Broncos to bring the Southwest (Saskatchewan) together,” said the team’s Governor, Liam Choo-Foo. “Last year as we won the Central Division you could feel the energy, excitement and pride our local and broad community has for our team. It was a lot of fun to experience that re-energized connection.” Financially, it was a successful year for the Broncos as the team announced a profit of $155,302.00 for the 2023-2024 season. As a Saskatchewan boy, I’ll always find it easy to pull for the WHL’s smaller market organizations.
2 – A Call to Action – Nice to see good things happen to good people. Another assignment has landed in the hands of Kelowna Rockets head coach, Kris Mallette. The 45-year-old was tabbed to be head coach for Team CHL at the inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada in next month. The two-game spectacle will be played in Ontario locales, London and Oshawa on November 26 and 27 respectively. It will replace the annual Top Prospects Game, which has been somewhat of a fixture every January on the CHL calendar for years. “Just really excited for the opportunity,” Mallette said. “Yeah, just really excited for this event. It’s a great showcase for the players within our league and players across the CHL. We, as a staff, have the opportunity to be the first to try and have some success at this event, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
3 – Work Ethic – When I spoke at length with Mallette for a feature piece at DUBNetwork back in 2020, I was taken with just how elated he was at the prospect of coaching the Rockets. He was truly humbled and was quite clearly appreciative toward each of the men he worked with as an assistant. He was hired as an assistant coach in Kelowna under Dan Lambert and the Rockets went on to win the 2014-2015 WHL Championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. When Lambert moved on to the NHL, Mallette remained with the Rockets under Brad Ralph, then Jason Smith and finally, Adam Foote before being promoted to the head coaching role late in the 2019-2020 season after Foote was fired. Mallette has certainly paid his junior hockey dues. As a player in the WHL, he appeared in 275 games over five seasons – three with the Rockets and two with the Moose Jaw Warriors between 1996 and 2000. Over the past few seasons, Hockey Canada has extended some international opportunities. Mallette has earned three gold medals with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, two as an assistant in 2022 and 2023, and his most recent one as the team’s head coach in 2024. He also earned a silver medal as the head coach of Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.
4 – Captain’s Log – Riley Heidt (Prince George), Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw), Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge) and Berkley Catton (Spokane) have all had the “C” stitched on their jerseys for the 2024-2025 campaign. They’ve all been drafted by NHL teams, so there’s that, but did you know that prior to their WHL careers, they were teammates with the Saskatoon Contacts during the 2019-2020 season? Among their other teammates on that Contacts team are Reid Andresen (Wenatchee), Tye Spencer (Regina) and Kalan Lind (Red Deer). Andresen and Lind are both alternate captains this season, while Spencer wore an “A” last year. Regina has not announced its 2024-2025 leadership group. And, it wouldn’t surprise us if another member of that Contacts team winds up with a letter on his jersey this season – that’s Caden Price of the Kelowna Rockets. Stay tuned.
5 – More Suits – A couple of former WHL players are part of a class action lawsuit filed against the WHL in U.S. District Court in the state of New York. It’s apparent that one of them, Isaiah DiLaura is not entirely happy with his junior hockey experience. I watched DiLaura, a goaltender, play a few times. He appeared in a total of 44 games over three WHL seasons. In Prince George, he had to compete for playing time with Taylor Gauthier, then Tyler Brennan, who were both drafted by NHL teams. Fair to say that would have been a tough gig? While in Portland, Joel Hofer, also drafted into the NHL, was the go-to-guy. In Swift Current, DiLaura wasn’t able to unseat starter Isaac Poulter, who is currently about 80 games into his minor-pro career. The plaintiffs have also expressed some disenchantment with certain aspects of the bantam draft, some issues with their high school experiences and the treatment of injuries. Eventually everyone’s voice will be heard in the coming months, a few lawyers will cash cheques, and major junior hockey will get pounded – again – in some media circles.
6 – Overage Goalies – I spoke with a veteran WHL scout last week, discussing 20-year-old goaltenders. He cautioned that sometimes these overage goalies can land in eastern Canada. (See point #7…) How many teams might choose to carry a 20-year-old goalie? There are a few solid, experienced, veteran netminders around including Austin Elliott of the Saskatoon Blades. He was a league all-star two seasons ago but sat behind Evan Gardner for most of the Blades long playoff run last season. Elliott has given up seven goals in three victories this season, and his next start will be his 100th WHL game. That’s heady stuff for the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft 12th round pick…Daniel Hauser of the Wenatchee Wild put up incredible numbers for some very good Winnipeg ICE teams early in his Dub career. He’s started three of the Wild’s four games to date. Will he provide a good bit of defence for Wenatchee as it rebuilds its roster…What about Kolby Hay of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who checks in at 6’5 and 190 pounds? He surrendered two goals in an opening night 3-1 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, was listed as “inactive” on the WHL’s Weekly report, but that information changed. He’s landed, for now, on the roster of the AHL’s Ontario Reign…Reid Dyck of the Swift Current Broncos, who is 6’4 and 197 pounds, will celebrate his 21stbirthday, January 20. He’s already made four starts so far…Will import netminder Jan Spunar play in the league as a two-spotter this season after backstopping the Portland Winterhawks to the WHL Championship Final a few short months ago? Harrison Meneghin of the Lethbridge Hurricanes was pretty durable and efficient last season, too. He was dealt to Medicine Hat on the weekend, a move that surprises me. Not only are the teams fierce division rivals, but the Tigers will likely need to do this all over again for next season, especially if they are awarded host status for the Memorial Cup…Of these overage goalies, Dyck was drafted 183rd overall by the Boston Bruins in 2022, but he was not signed. Meneghin was drafted in 2024, 206th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
7 – One Goalies’ Hockey Road Map – Remember former WHL goaltender Jacob DeSerres? My scouting friend and WHL colleague brought up DeSerres and that took me down memory lane. DeSerres played parts of four WHL seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, then during the 2009-2010 season, he was acquired by the Brandon Wheat Kings, who were playing host to the 2010 Memorial Cup. He appeared in 32 regular season games for Brandon, 12 more in the WHL playoffs, and was the goalie of record for the Wheaties in its 9-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires in the Memorial Cup final game. DeSerres was 20 at the time and had one more year of junior eligibility, but Brandon waived the Calgary-native before the next season, making room for younger netminders. So, DeSerres landed in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in October of 2010 with the St. John Sea Dogs, filling an overage spot. That led to an eventful 2010-2011 season for DeSerres, who would eventually become the goalie of record when the Sea Dogs beat the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the 2011 Memorial Cup final. Wow!
8 – Trade Winds – Purely speculation here, but I think goaltender Scott Ratzlaff of the Seattle Thunderbirds would be a great addition to a contending team this season, unless of course the T-Birds happen to emerge right out of the gate as a top team in the U.S. Division after missing the playoffs last season. He’s appeared in 111 regular season games and was a member of Team Canada’s entry at the 2024 World Junior Championship. From Irma, Alberta, the 6’1, 180-pounder was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 5th round, 141st overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. Even if Ratzlaff’s WHL address doesn’t change this season, he’ll also be an option for the 2025-2026 season as a 20-year-old if there isn’t a place for him at that time in the Sabres organization. Hey, it might be interesting to see him play closer to home on an eastern conference powerhouse to wind up his junior career.
9 – It’s Like a Mortgage Document – The Collective Bargaining Agreement is somewhat complicated, but it kind of has to be, given the myriad scenarios the NHL and NHLPA have to consider. Here’s some more entry level contract information, about the “entry level slide”. If a player signs his entry-level contract and is either 18 or 19 years old before September 15 of the signing year and does not play 10 games in the NHL that season, their entry-level contract is extended by one year. Some exceptions: If a player is 19 years old on September 15 of their signing year but turns 20 between September 16 and December 31, the contract does not slide. In addition, a player who is 18 on September 15 of their signing year may get to slide the contract for two years, unless they turn 19 between September 16 and December 31. Then it only slides for one year. Got that? Sheesh!
10 – You Asked – Okay, here’s the answer! In the picture on this blog, I’m sitting on a bench constructed in large part with hockey stick shafts. It’s kind of a memorial bench of sorts – note the green and yellow ribbons – in recognition of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos after the tragic accident involving the team bus back in April of 2018. The ownership group at the Harbor Golf Resort in Elbow, Saskatchewan, with some ties to the provincial hockey community, had placed the bench on the 15th tee box. The golf course sits alongside beautiful Lake Diefenbaker. The goalie stick along the back side is an autographed piece from Saskatchewan-born and raised netminder, Braden Holtby, who backstopped the Washington Capitals to its 2018 Stanley Cup championship.
(Glen Erickson is a freelance hockey writer based in Medicine Hat, AB)
This article is a must-read for anyone interested in the subject.