NEWS FILE PHOTO
Medicine Hat Tigers rookie defenceman Riley Steen makes a blue line pass in the first period of a 5-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen at Co-op Place on Dec. 30.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
There are a lot of challenges for first-year players in the WHL, from bigger and stronger opponents, three-in-threes or the balance of school and hockey. For Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Riley Steen, the biggest challenge has been the lack of humidity.
The 16-year-old product of Victoria, B.C. had to make some changes in his life after Christmas because he’d battled through a few too many nose bleeds. Not from fights or skirmishes on the ice, but the lack of moisture in the air, resulting in a humidifier becoming a must-have.
“It’s definitely different here from the island and B.C., way more humid in B.C. but it’s great here,” Steen said. “I’ve got friends here, so that’s always nice.”
Steen has split this season between the Tigers and the South Alberta Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, spending the majority of the season with the school team. He’s played 14 games with the Tigers and 30 with SAHA, where he’s tallied a goal and 12 points.
Moving back and forth between the WHL and CSSHL has its challenges beyond the ice Steen says.
“A lot of the (stress) is moving my gear and because I can’t drive, finding rides where I want to be on time, make sure I’m on time and respect people’s times,” Steen said.
Obviously there are challenges when it comes to going from the WHL and the CSSHL, with speed being the biggest difference.
“Playing here, guys are quicker so you adjust to speed, but guys are in the right spot so you can hit them on the tape where they are,” Steen said. “But in the CSSHL, where you have to adjust to looser speeds and bigger guys, so I use my weight more down there, but as well, guys aren’t in the same spot, so at the same time, having to hang on to the puck more and sometimes force passes.”
While playing games for both teams, Steen has also been able to practise with the Tigers throughout the year, showcasing more and more for the coaching staff.
“We really like how he’s developing,” associate coach Joe Frazer said. “He’s had a great year at SAHA, it’s really nice that he’s been able to practise with us quite a bit this year. He’s been in 14 games now so there’s been a steady progression. He’s such a great skater, defends well, he’s got a good stick and really played physical.”
Frazer has seen improved confidence and skating from Steen when reflecting on training camp in September to the middle of February. For the blue liner, he’s found an improvement in his ability to move the puck, having shed the shock factor of playing in the WHL.
“Since I’ve played games in September from the opener to now, I’m a lot more confident with pucks and using my feet like wheeling, not just like staying stationary, realizing that I can actually play at this level,” Steen said.
The Tigers boast one of the top defensive groups in the WHL when healthy, led by Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk. Add in 19-year-old Josh Van Mulligen, 18 year old NHL Draft eligible Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo as well as Finnish NHL prospects Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas Stars) and Veeti Väisänen (Utah), there’s not a lot of room for the younger Steen.
Being on the outside looking in, with friends he grew up playing alongside him in the WHL is something he’s had to work through. Steen says he’s happy for friends, glad he can live in the same city as childhood friends Markus and Liam Ruck, while also ensuring he makes the most of his WHL opportunities.
“When I go on the road trips or I don’t see him for 10 plus days, sometimes that can be hard because it’s Medicine Hat and it’s cold, sometimes you feel lonely,” Steen said. “So having them around is super nice, but seeing other guys, other defencemen my age, sometimes has me thinking, ‘I could be in this league,’ and coaches have told me I can play in this league. But obviously we have a loaded D-core and it’s just the way the dice roll.”
Steen says he’s also been working on playing into a new role, known more as an offence-first defenceman when drafted 127th overall by the Tigers in 2023, he’s trying to play more of a shutdown game. It’s been an adjustment he admits, from running the high-octane power play at OHA Okanagan with the Rucks and Spokane Chiefs star rookie Mathis Preston, to focusing more on the penalty kill and a defensive role.
Despite being an adjustment, Steen says the shutdown role brings less stress, even while trying to stop the CSSHL or WHL’s best. It’s allowed him to control his own frustrations in games while trying to frustrate other players who are looking to score.
“In practice when guys are going on the power play and I’m just on the penalty kill, I’m shutting them down and making them mad,” Steen said. “So obviously I don’t like being on the opposite side and getting frustrated, that’s something for me I need to work on, too. If I get frustrated, sometimes I’ll let it bother me with my game. But turning into more of a defensive kind of role, it’s been really good and I kind of calm down.”
Working on his own game and his own approach has also led him to picking the brain of those ahead of him on the WHL depth chart. Steen says he worked a lot with former Tiger Nate Corbet before he was traded to the Kelowna Rockets. He says the biggest lesson from those on the club, play hard.
“Don’t just take a play off, a shift off, it’s just always be hard,” Steen said. “From Molendyk, it’s being smooth and just being consistent.”
