WHL preview: B.C. Division

By Ryan McCracken on September 22, 2018.

Prince George Cougars

Last season: 24-38-5-5, fifth in B.C. Division, missed playoffs

General manager: Mark Lamb (first season)

Head coach: Richard Matvichuk (third season); Associate coach: Steve O’Rourke (third season); Goaltender coach: Taylor Dakers (first season).

Key losses: F Jared Bethune (Queens University), F Brogan O’Brien (Carleton University), F Aaron Boyd (Carleton University), G Tavin Grant.

The 20-year-olds: D Joel Lakusta (fourth WHL season), F Josh Curtis (third season), F Mike MacLean (second season).

The imports: Belarusian F Vladislav Mikhalchuk, 19, and Czech F Matej Toman, 17.

New faces: Toman (picked fifth overall inn 2018 import draft), MacLean (acquired in a trade Sept. 10 from Seattle), F Tyson Upper, F Connor Bowie.

Key returnees: Curtis, Lakusta, LW Josh Maser, LW Jackson Leppard, C Max Kryski, C Ilijah Colina, D Ryan Schoettler, G Taylor Gauthier.

Watch for: Goalie Gauthier to become one of the WHL’s best. With three seasons of junior eligibility ahead of him he’s already a solid bet to nail down wins the Cougars don’t deserve.

Noteworthy: The Cougars are heading into Year 25 since the franchise shifted from Victoria. Since 1993-94 the Cats have never made the WHL final. They missed the playoffs 10 times, were eliminated in the first round 10 times, were bounced in the second round once and made the conference final three times (1997, 2000, 2007).

Did you know: MacLean is a six-foot-seven, 234-pound giant. Five former Cats who stood six-foot-five or taller without skates became NHL’ers – Zdeno Chara 6’9″ (Boston); Dustin Byfuglien 6’5″ (Winnipeg); Derek Boogaard 6’7″ (Minnesota, New York Rangers), Vladimir Mihalik 6’7″ (Tampa Bay) and David Koci 6’7″ (Chicago, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Colorado).

Prognosis: This is a team on the rise, loaded with young talent at every position. Former GM Todd Harkins did extremely well acquiring high draft picks and promising youngsters in the January fire sale. Lamb as GM adds a former AHL head coach to the fold who had a major hand in building a WHL champion in Swift Current as Broncos’ coach/GM for seven seasons. These Cats are good enough to make the playoffs and could even pull off a first-round upset if Gauthier remains on Hockey Canada’s radar.

Ted Clarke, Prince George Citizen

Kelowna Rockets

Last season: 43-22-5-2, 1st in B.C. Division, 3rd in Western Conference. Swept in first round by Tri-City.

General manager: Bruce Hamilton (28th season).

Head coach: Jason Smith (3rd season).

Assistant coaches: Kris Mallette (5th season), Travis Crickard (5th season), Adam Brown (3rd season).

Key losses: Top four scorers from last season turned pro in forwards Dillon Dube, Kole Lind and Carsen Twarynski, plus defenceman Cal Foote. Also graduated overage defencemen Gordie Ballhorn and James Hilsendager.

The 20-year-olds: RD Braydyn Chizen and RW Ryan Bowen, with one open spot.

The imports: Sophomore RD Libor Zabransky, of Brno, Czech Republic, and rookie RD Lassi Thomson, of Tempere, Finland.

Key returnees: LW/LC Nolan Foote and RD Kaedan Korczak are potential first-round NHL draft picks in 2019, along with Thomson. LC Kyle Topping is the top returning point-getter (65 in 66 games, fifth in team scoring) and RW Leif Mattson is the top returning goal-scorer (25 in 63 games, fourth most on team).

New faces: Thomson is highly touted and looked the part in two preseason appearances. Bowen is a new overager, acquired at last season’s deadline but finished that campaign with BCHL Chilliwack. RW Ethan Ernst, RW Dallon Wilton and RD Devin Steffler are also intriguing rookies with upside.

Watch for: G Roman Basran, also in his draft year, appears to be the starter but will battle fellow sophomore James Porter Jr. for playing time.

Did you know: For the first time in franchise history — since relocating to Kelowna from Tacoma, Wash., in 1995-96 — the Rockets won’t have any players on their roster who are NHL property to start the season. Chizen had been drafted but went unsigned by Minnesota.

The prognosis: Nobody on Kelowna’s staff is calling this a rebuilding year, but the Rockets will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs and their streak of six straight seasons with 40-plus wins — stretching back to 2012-13 — will almost certainly come to an end. Looking at the current roster, 30 wins in a reduced 68-game schedule is a realistic expectation for Kelowna and 35-plus wins would be overachieving this season.

Larry Fisher/Kelowna Daily Courier

Victoria Royals

Last season: 39-27-4-2, second in B.C. Division, lost in second round of playoffs to Tri City.

General manager: Cam Hope (seventh season).

Head coach: Dan Price (second season, third with team).

Assistant coaches: Doug Bodger, J.F. Best, Dwayne Roloson.

Key losses: F Tyler Soy, D Chaz Reddekopp, F Tanner Kaspick, F Noah Gregor.

The 20-year-olds: G Griffen Outhouse, F Dante Hannoun, D Ralph Jarratt.

The imports: F Phillip Schultz (Denmark), F Igor Martynov (Belarus).

Key returnees: D Scott Walford, D Michell Prowse, F Tarun Fizer, F Kaid Oliver, F Dino Kambeitz.

New faces: D Jameson Murray, F Tanner Sidaway, F Tyler Lees.

Watch for: F D-Jay Jerome, who had five goals and 10 points in the pre-season.

Noteworthy: Steady as it goes. The Royals have not missed the playoffs in the seven seasons they have played on the Island and are among only four of the 22 WHL teams who can boast that during that span, along with Kelowna, Everett and Portland.

Prognosis: Much of the Royals’ outlook for 2018-19 depends on whether the Calgary Flames think undersized but dynamic 2017-18 Victoria captain Matthew Phillips will be better served by another season building up his wisp of a body in junior hockey as an overage 20-year-old, or by a step up to the pros in the AHL in Stockton. The answer, either way, will profoundly affect the Royals upcoming season.

The return of Phillips would automatically propel Victoria to high middle-pack prospects in the Western Conference. If, however, Phillips is sent to the AHL, the Royals’ prospects plunge dramatically to lower pack.

The word “rebuild” abounds, along with some predicting this will be the season the Royals finally miss the post-season. But team officials point out that pundits also said that about the 2015-16 Royals team. All that Victoria team did was astonish everybody by winning the Scotty Munro Trophy as WHL regular-season champions. This organization is known for squeezing the most out of whatever talent it has, which it will certainly need to do this season.

Cleve Dheensaw, Victoria Times Colonist

Kamloops Blazers

Last year: 30-37-1-4, fourth in BC Division, missed playoffs

General manager: Matt Bardsley (first season)

Head coach: Serge Lajoie (first season)

Assistant coaches: Chris Murray (fifth season), Dan Kordic (first season), Aaron Keller (second season), Dan De Palma (goalies, ninth season)

Key losses: Joe Gateby (D), Nick Chyzowski (C), Brady Reagan (D)

Key returnees: Jermaine Loewen (LW), Luc Smith (C), Dylan Ferguson (G),

Vancouver Giants

Last year: 36-27-6-3, third in BC Division, lost in first round of playoffs to Victoria Royals

General manager: Barclay Parneta (first season)

Head coach: Michael Dyck (first season)