When the Saskatoon Blades took Chase Wouters with the 19th overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, a factor in why they picked him could very well have been his history of being on successful teams. Wouters played both bantam and midget in Lloydminster, Alberta and at both levels his team won their league title. First, he piled up 37 points in 33 games as a 13-year-old, as his Lloydminster Heat Bantam AAA team won the AMBHL. Then in 2016, his Lloyminster Bobcats team won the AMHL.
Wouters believes that how close the players on those teams were played a role in their titles. “I think we were a family and we really came together and bonded. We used each other to build our success and were not out on our own. Once we all came together, that’s when we knew we had a good team,” Wouters said.
Now Wouters is playing on a team that has not made the WHL playoffs since 2013. Despite being a younger guy on the team, Wouters thinks that his experiences at the lower levels have given him something he can pass on in his team’s attempt to get back to the post-season.
“I think I can add my mentality. You have to have a mentality coming in-knowing that you can win and succeed in what you do. I think that is huge for a team to make the playoffs-knowing that you can succeed.”
Wouters was not even aware that the Blades had their eyes on him, so being taken in the first round came as bit of a shock. “I didn’t know that they were interested. I was just trying to keep my mind off of it. It worked out really well.”
He got into his first games as a 15-year-old and started to feel a little more comfortable after a tough first game. “As a 15-year-old, it is a lot different, between 15 and 16. Playing a full year in midget and getting called up for a game. At the start, it was a little challenging. But I played two games in a row, so by the second game, I was starting to find my game.”
Wouters put up six goals and added 15 assists for 21 points as a 16-year-old. With several older players on the team suffering injuries, he saw his role on the team increasing as the year went on.
“I feel like I got pretty fortunate. I don’t like seeing guys get injured and that stuff. It is awful to see that. I feel like I got the opportunity and I was grateful for that. I feel like I played as hard as I could in that spot.”
After getting into those 54 games as a rookie, Wouters went into the off-season with specific things he wanted to improve upon. “I worked on my offensive abilities over the summer a bit more. I usually stay on the east side of the puck a bit but I feel like my defense leads to offense and my work paid off.”
The six-foot, 176 pound Wouters has already nearly eclipsed his point total from a season ago with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. Despite his offensive success, Wouters’ goal this year is for the Blades to make their long-awaited return to the playoffs. His team sits 15-17-2-1 and tied for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While the older group on the team takes on the leadership role, Wouters knows what it is like to help his team to the top. You can never have enough guys like that on your team.
