NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Brett Calhoon keeps his eye on the puck during a face off in his WHL debut on Dec. 16, a 6-4 loss against the Red Deer Rebels.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Brett Calhoon’s Western Hockey League debut didn’t go quite as planned but the 18-year-old has continued to build from it.
Calhoon made his Medicine Hat Tigers and WHL debut on Dec. 16 at Co-op Place against the Red Deer Rebels. His night was cut short with 1:10 left in the second period after he hit Kalan Lind at the Red Deer blue line and received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference.
Calhoon’s helmet cage caught Lind who was cut up and did not return to the game after the hit. Looking back on that night and with three more games under his belt, Calhoon says it was an accident and he was able to move past it.
“You come here and you’re trying to make an impact and it happens, and it’s whatever,” Calhoon said. “The next game was just about building my confidence, after each game it’s what I try to go for. It’s been better each game.”
He’s proud to bring the physicality at the WHL level, which is something head coach Willie Desjardins says the Oliver, B.C. product will need to do.
“If he’s going to play, that has to be part of his game,” Desjardins said. “He’s going to be a strong two-way forward and he’s done that. When we do video, there’s lots of times he’s on clips doing good things and that’s good to see.
“He’s strong and he’s faster than I thought he was going to be. He’s not afraid to play physical, so he’s fit right in. It’s not like he’s a guy who hasn’t been able to play, he’s fit in and those are good games for him to play.”
Calhoon has played in the Tigers last three games entering Tuesday night, registering a shot in the 4-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Jan. 13. Whether it’s getting into the lineup or taking part in the practices, he says he’s happy to be in the WHL.
“It’s something I’ve worked for all year and finally getting that call, that’s it, it’s all you want,” Calhoon said.
He’s spent the majority of his season at the U18 level with the South Alberta Hockey Academy. In 17 games at the CSSHL level, he’s put up 12 goals and 27 points under head coach Brayden Desjardins.
He says there isn’t much different between the father-son coaching duo, but crowned Brayden with the louder bark on the bench.
“You can talk to Brayden a little bit more than Willie, but I mean, they’re the same in some aspects,” Calhoon said.
He was in the lineup for SAHA’s Circle K Classic win and was excited to win the invitational title and to do so alongside other Tigers prospects.
“It it the highest thing that can get me ready for this kind of level, a championship game, and our SAHA team played amazing. A big win like that can translate to this kind of hockey,” Calhoon said. “We’re all, like, best friends. It’s great that we already have that bond and we’re going to continue having that bond for the next couple of years. That’s what you want.”
Making the jump from U18 to the WHL isn’t easy for any player. Calhoon, like many others, says it’s the difference of pace that stands out the most.
“Our coaches, they can try and get us ready, but at the end of the day it’s way different than at SAHA,” Calhoon said. “It’s just about getting your feet moving and getting your legs into this type of hockey.”
