Like every seasoned Western Hockey League player, Ryan Chyzowski maintains that glimmer of hope he is destined for a job in professional hockey.
The 19-year-old forward enjoyed a taste of the National Hockey League lifestyle prior to the current WHL campaign, a free agent tryout with the Winnipeg Jets. But for now, he’s returned to Medicine Hat with the Tigers and the organization couldn’t be happier.
After all, one of their key leaders is back in the room.
“I think it’s a big responsibility to sort of be a leader out of the gate and sort of demonstrate to the young guys that there’s some expectations,” Chyzowski said in an interview with DUBNetwork. “I mean, I think it’s huge that we get the young guys on board right away.”
“You see all the new faces, see all the boys again. I think the season is pretty long, so it’s good to get some competition going. It’s fun to get back on the ice.”
Given the developmental focus of the WHL, had Chyzowski landed a pro gig, we can all be assured the Tigers would have been ecstatic. He’s been a good soldier in the Gas City and a productive player on the ice.
Last season, the Tigers took the Central Division winners, the Edmonton Oil Kings, to overtime in the sixth game of the first playoff round before bowing out.
According to Chyzowski, it still stings.
“I think we’re still a little bit bitter about that one,” he said. “So, it’s obviously a little bit of a fire under us and all the boys came back pretty prepared and pretty driven this year. So, I think we’re just going to use that, learn from it and we want to go on a long run this year.”
Chyzowski is coming off a 55-point season where he appeared in 65 games. And when the Tigers lace ‘em up for three games in three nights this coming weekend, the tilt on Sunday in Calgary against the Hitmen, will be his 200th career regular season game.
Chyzowski, who checks in at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds is excited to have an opportunity to play this season for new head coach, Willie Desjardins.
“I think that’s huge for us,” he said when asked about the Tigers new bench boss. “Obviously, it’s just a new lift coming in and some new information, you know, a new teaching style.”
“I think it’s something exciting that we all are looking forward to and everybody hears great things about Willie. It’s great to kind of have him in our backyard. I think that will benefit everybody. He’ll give us a little bit of extra knowledge that he’s kind of brought back from the NHL.”
For his part, Desjardins is pleased to have Chyzowski in tow.
“There’s a lot of teams in the league that would love to have him,” Desjardins said after the Tigers 3-1 loss to Lethbridge on Saturday night. “His name comes up all the time because he competes so hard.
“He does it every game. We need more guys playing like that. For him, it’s been good and he’s been rewarded for that.”
If the youngsters in the Tigers room are paying attention, the entire veteran core – the leadership group, will certainly have some good advice early on this season. Between October 15 and November 16, Medicine will not play a home game. While the city co-hosts the 2019 U17 World Hockey Challenge with Swift Current, the Tigers will play nine straight games on the road, including a road trip through the B.C. Division.
“I think we’re going to look at it as if it’ll be fun to meet together for the whole month,” Chyzowski said. “It’ll be a great team building experience, just to kind of be living as one for that stretch. And, obviously, for a few of us, it’ll be great to kind of go back to B.C. for that road trip.
“But I think everybody’s actually looking forward to it and it’ll be fun a couple of weeks.”
For Chyzowski, the run through B.C. will be extra special, an opportunity to re-connect with his family. He says there have been some interesting changes on the home front in Kamloops.
“I think it’s exciting to see my dad kind of go back into hockey a bit,” Chyzowski said of his father Dave. “He’s helping out with the (Vancouver) Giants and then the Delta Wild Academy, so I think it’s a new experience for him.
Dave, a former New York Islanders first round pick, left a sales and marketing role with the Kamloops Blazers to try his hand at coaching. And Ryan’s brother Nick, is away in Ontario, entering his second season with the University of Waterloo Warriors.
“You know, it’s a little bit different learning experience for all of us, just being all split off right now,” Ryan said. “But yeah, it’s exciting going back to B.C.
“It’s always fun to kind of go back to my home province, feel at home a bit and play in Kamloops. It’ll be fun to see my mom again. She might be a little bit lonely right now.”
Chyzowski has been a force out of the gate this season upon his return from a stint at training camp with the Winnipeg Jets. He scored the tying goal midway through the third period in Lethbridge on Friday, then added the game winner in the shootout for a 4-3 win over the Hurricanes.
On Saturday, he counted the lone Tigers marker in a 3-1 loss to Lethbridge.
“I think I just want to be a very beneficial and positive leader on our team,” Chyzowski said when asked about his personal expectations this season. “I want to be an impact player on the Tigers.
“Obviously you can look at yourself and individual aspects, but I want to be somebody that makes our team win and makes our team better all around.”
Tiger Tales…With overage forward Hayden Ostir opting to pursue his secondary education, C James Hamblin, RW Tyler Preziuso and D Parker Gavlas make up the current overage group. Gavlas was acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings on September 16…A few weeks ago, the Tigers had five 20-year-olds on the roster. Ostir, F Logan Christensen and G Jordan Hollett are gone and somewhat surprisingly, the Tigers were unable to acquire any assets in exchange for any of the aforementioned trio…Cole Sillinger, 16, has collected a point in each of the Tigers two games this season…G Mads Sogaard has been very good to start, playing both games to date and compiling a 2.12 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. With a busy weekend upcoming, it wouldn’t be shocking to see his understudy, 17-year-old G Garin Bjorklund, get a start…Medicine Hat plays Friday in Swift Current, at home Saturday against the Broncos, then Sunday in Calgary…According to the WHL, the Tigers drew 106,106 fans last season. That’s an average of 3,121 per game during the regular season. On opening night, announced attendance at Canalta Centre was 4,050.
