Kelowna shold repeat in WHL B.C. Division

The Spokane Chiefs have a goal , to be playing an Eastern Conference team next spring. The first step to getting there is to get rid of B.C. Division rivals, the focus of today’s capsules.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

B.C. Division

KAMLOOPS BLAZERS

Last season: 29-37-3-3, tied for ninth in Western Conference. Missed playoffs for second time in franchise history.

Head coach: Guy Charron (second full season).

Associate coach: Dave Hunchak (first season).

Assistants: Ed Patterson (first season, part-time); Mike Needham (first season, skills coach); Dan De Palma (goaltenders, third season).

Key losses: G Jeff Bosch.

The 20-year-olds : Hard-nosed D Josh Caron, who missed a lot of last season with collarbone woes; C Chase Schaber, the captain; D Bronson Maschmeyer, a leader.

The imports: Swiss LW Tim Bozon, 17, a selection in the 2011 CHL import draft; D Marek Hrbas, 18, acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings in June.

Key returnees: C Dylan Willick, this team’s most-consistent player; LW Brendan Ranford, who burned it up in the first half of last season, then fizzled in the second half; C Colin Smith; RW J.T.
Barnett; D Austin Madaisky.

New faces: C Mike Needham, the eighth overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft had seven points in 13 games last season. G Cole Cheveldave, 18, was the AJHL’s rookie of the year with the Drumheller Dragons.

Watch for: The Blazers will open with three goaltenders — veteran Cam Lanigan, who wasn’t good after being acquired from the Oil Kings last season, Cheveldave and Taras Kozun, a 17-year-old who starred with Prince Albert’s midget AAA team last season. Something has to give here.

Just notes: There are 16 players on the roster who finished last season here. Considering that team didn’t make the playoffs, is that too many? … Ranford will sit out the season’s first three games
as he completes a six-game suspension for cross-checking a linesman late last season.

Did you know: Needham, the player, is the son of Needham, the coach, who was a sniper with the Blazers (1987-90)… . Bozon is the son of former NHLer Philippe Bozon.

The prognosis: The Blazers need one of their goaltenders to stand up and take control; they also need more maturity from a roster that was undisciplined last season. That might get them into the playoffs.

• Gregg Drinnan/Kamloops Daily News

KELOWNA ROCKETS

Last season: 43-28-0-1, second in Western Conference, first in B.C. Division. Lost in second round of playoffs.

Last season: 35-31-2-4, sixth in Western Conference, second in B.C. Division. Lost in second round of playoffs.

Head coach: Ryan Huska (fifth season, 10th overall).

Assistants: Dan Lambert (third season), Ryan Cuthbert (fifth season), Kim Gellert (seventh season); Kim Dillabaugh, goaltender coach (ninth season).

Key losses: D Tyson Barrie, one of the league’s best blue-liners, and RW Mitchell Callahan, both to graduation to the AHL.

The 20-year-olds: G Adam Brown, the keystone to this season’s team, plus D Kevin Smith and C Cody Chikie.

The imports: Just one in Filip Vasko, a 5-foot-10 forward from Slovakia. Vasko, 17, was selected 58th overall in the CHL’s import draft in June. He played last season with Slovakia’s U-20 team, recording 15 goals and 37 points in 41 games.

Key returnees: Brown, this season’s starting goalie, plus a quartet of offensive forwards in Shane McColgan, Brett Bulmer, Zach Franko and Colton Sissons.

New faces: With 18 returning players from last season, there are few fresh faces. One, however, is 5-10 C Tyson Baillie, who doesn’t turn 16 until November. He led Kelowna in pre-season scoring with three goals and nine points in six games.

Watch for: Kelowna’s young defence to slowly mature into a solid group. Of the eight-member blue-line gang, four are 17 or younger, including highly touted rookies Jesse Lees and Madison Bowey, both 16.

Just notes: The Rockets were ranked seventh in the CHL’s pre-season top-10 rankings. Two other WHL teams were also ranked: Portland at third and Red Deer in ninth.

Did you know: Rookie D Colten Martin, 17, hails from Arlington, Texas, and played last season with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. He played his midget hockey in Chicago.

The prognosis: With most of last season’s roster returning, including one of the league’s best goalies in Brown, plus a solid offence, mark down Kelowna for back-to-back B.C. Division titles.

• Doyle Potenteau, The Kelowna Daily Courier

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Last season: 33-35-2-2, fourth in B.C. Division, seventh in Western Conference. Lost in first round of playoffs.

Head coach: Dean Clark (third season).

Assistants: Jason Becker (second season), Phil Guenter (goaltending, first season).

Key losses: LW Taylor Stefishen, D Sena Acolatse and LW James Dobrowolski have all graduated, while G Ty Rimmer was traded to Tri-City in August.

The 20-year-olds: G Drew Owsley, acquired from Tri-City for Rimmer, is a proven starter who had 36 wins and a 2.77 goals against average last season. D Cody Carlson (30 points) and LW Spencer Asuchak (29 points) are the others.

The imports: D Martin Marincin, 19, had 56 points in his first WHL season and showed well at Edmonton Oilers camp. There’s no guarantee he’ll be sent back. Forward Marko Dano (Slovakia) was the 60th pick in June’s CHL draft but is only 16 years old to start the season.

Key returnees: If they don’t go pro, RW Brett Connolly and Marincin could lead the Cougars a long way. Connolly, 19, had 46 goals and 27 assists last season and should return to Canada’s world junior roster. But he is a No. 6 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and already has a contract.

New faces: Owsley is the most notable, while Dion’s younger brother Dane Phaneuf, a 17-year-old defenceman, is among a group of rookies who will get ice time. C Jordan Tkatch, 16, led the team in pre-season scoring (three points in four games) while LW Chase Witala, also 16, had two assists in two games.

Watch for: Continued improvement from a team that was the worst in the CHL two years ago, but early struggles until and if Connolly and Marincin return.

Did you know: Clark was inducted into the St. Albet Skating Wall of Fame in September. Aside from coaching, where he has 401 WHL wins, Clark played a game for the Edmonton Oilers in 1983-84 and two seasons in the WHL with Kamloops.

The prognosis: With a bona fide starting goalie and some top-level talent, the Cougars should expect some home playoff dates.

— Sean Rooney, Medicine Hat News

VANCOUVER GIANTS

Last season: 35-32-1-4, second in B.C. Division, fifth in Western Conference. Lost in first round of the playoffs, swept by the Tri-City Americans. Out of B.C. penthouse for the first time since 2004-05, shortest playoff stint since 2002-03.

Head coach: Don Hay (eighth season)

Assistant coach: Glen Hanlon (first season), Paul Fricker (goalie coach, first season).

Key losses: Forwards Spencer Bennett and Brendan Rowinski and defenceman Darren Bestland graduated. All were trade pick-ups last season. Centre Andrej Stastny, another acquisition last year, is playing pro in Europe.

The 20-year-olds: Fifth-year Giants Neil Manning, a defenceman, and James Henry, a forward, are joined by Michael Burns, a winger landed in trade last season.

The Imports: Right now, it’s just Slovak winger Marek Tvrdon, who had six goals in 12 games last season before a shoulder injury shut him down. They couldn’t get release for Finn goalie Jonathan Iilahti and he’s playing pro in Finland instead.

Key returnees: Leading scorer Brendan Gallagher (44 goals, 91 points), power-play quarterback Manning (15 goals, 51 points), team captain Henry and shut-down defencemen David Musil and Wes Vannieuwenhuizen.

New faces: Body checking fiend Scott Cooke, a winger, should be a fan favourite at home at least. Forward Anthony Ast, Vancouver’s first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, also battles hard.

Watch for: Vancouver to make a deal for a goaltender. Right now they’ve got sophomore Brendan Jensen, 18, he of 36 career games, and rookie Jackson Whistle, 16.

Just notes: Winger Dalton Sward, who looks primed for a breakout season, is named after the Patrick Swayze character from the 1989 movie Road House.

Did you know: Gallagher has a shot at the team career records for goals and points? He enters the campaign with 95 goals and 203 points. Adam Courchaine has the marks with 126 goals and 273 points. Gallagher could miss several games at Montreal Canadiens camp and with the Canadian world junior team, though.

Prognosis: Much rides with the goaltending, and with how team handles missing Hay, as well as possibly the likes of Gallagher and Musil, during world juniors. Should contend for B.C. crown, but it looks tight.

Steve Ewen, Vancouver Sun

VICTORIA ROYALS

(Last five seasons known as the Chilliwack Bruins)

Last season: 33-31-8, third in the B.C. Division and sixth in the Western Conference. Lost in first round of playoffs 4-1 to Spokane.

Head coach: Marc Habscheid (third season).

Assistants: Enio Sacilotto (second season), Ben Cooper (first season), Craig Didmon (first season).

Key losses: Ryan Howse, a third-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames, and Roman Horak, a fifth-round pick of the New York Rangers, are embarking on their pro careers and are not following the team to Victoria.

The 20-year-olds: Defenceman Hayden Rintoul was acquired from the defending WHL champion Kootenay Ice in an off-season trade. Goaltender Braden Gamble and import right-winger Robin Soudek are holdovers while left-winger Curt Gogol is in pro camp with the San Jose Sharks.

The imports: Returning forward Soudek and right-winger and 2011 import draft selection Lukas Kralik are both from the team’s pipeline to the Czech Republic.

Key returnees: Forward Kevin Sundher, a third round NHL draft pick, is currently in Buffalo Sabres camp but expected back. Defenceman Tyler Stahl is a sixth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes. Steven Hodges and Brandon Magee were impact 16-year-olds last season in Chilliwack.

New faces: The veteran Rintoul from the Ice. He will be expected to mentor the club’s six-foot-five 2010 first-round bantam draft pick Keegan Kanzig, a 16-year-old who is eventually expected to make an impact on the blueline to match his massive build. The 19-year-old goaltender Keith Hamilton was acquired in an off-season trade from the Portland Winterhawks to provide experience and depth in the crease. Centre Logan Nelson from Minnesota is a USHL Junior ‘A’ crossover who is physical and looks to be a keeper, as does tough left-winger and fellow-American Taylor Crunk from San Jacinto, Calif.

Watch for: A young team building for the future.

Just notes: The club recorded only its first winning season in 2010-11 of its five-year Chilliwack history. The franchise has never made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Did you know: The franchise’s NHL alumni list is light with only Oscar Moller and Nick Holden, and even they have spent more time in the AHL.

The prognosis: Victoria is going with youth, sprinkled with a few key vets such as Sundher and Rintoul, and looks to again be a lower middle-of-the-pack type program as it was in Chilliwack. But Habscheid’s teams are always hard working, rarely take a night off, and that should count for a lot. Yet the best the Royals can hope for this season is garnering the third or fourth playoff position in the B.C. Division and selling their new Victoria fans on the fact of their youth and that the best may be yet to come.

- Cleve Dheensaw, Victoria Times Colonist