Like any Western Hockey League training camp, there are plenty of questions surrounding different parts of a new roster.
Last year the Calgary Hitmen had to work through a logjam with the overage category, but the team was fairly certain on the starting netminder job and whom the two imported players would be once the season started.
The questions around this year’s Hitmen squad still hang above the ice at the Kyle Stuart Memorial Arena, but in regard to different areas of the roster.
As it stands right now, GM Jeff Chynoweth doesn’t have to make any hard decisions with the overagers. Luke Coleman, Jake Kryski and Nick Sanders all entered their final Western Hockey League training camp with the ease of knowing the Hitmen are within the limit.
“There is a little less pressure on you for sure, but everyone is still competing for spot within the team and there’s plenty of hard work going on out there,” said Coleman, who served as an alternate captain last year and will be entering his fifth season in the league.
As far as the imported players go, the Hitmen passed on the opportunity to draft eighth overall — their fourth highest slot in franchise history — during the annual Canadian Hockey League Import Draft this summer.
Instead, the Hitmen decided to run it back with their two blue liners from last year’s roster in Nashville Predators’ prospect Vladislav Yeryomenko and Egor Zamula, who they acquired from the Regina Pats last season.
That is basically where the certainties end for the Hitmen this fall.
Who will start in the blue ice Sept. 22 when the regular season opens in Cranbrook is still up for grabs.
The Hitmen brought in Sanders who was injured at the trade deadline last year. Sanders didn’t play one minute for the Hitmen last spring and hasn’t played since Oct. 17 against the Prince Albert Raiders.
Last year’s backup Matthew Armitage is in the mix for a starting job. After going 13 games into the season before picking up his first career win, Armitage finished the season 3-1 with the increased playing time down the stretch.
Thrown into the mix recently was Carl Stankowski, a local product who led the Seattle Thunderbirds to a Ed Chynoweth Cup two seasons ago as a 16-year-old.
Stankowski missed all of last season with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare autoimmune disease that presents itself as inflammatory arthritis. Stankowksi’s showed up in his hips and lower back, which kept him out for the full campaign.
When the Hitmen acquired the 5-foot-9 puck stopper, Chynoweth said in a press release that he expected Stankowski to be healthy enough for training camp.
The new netminder backed up the GM’s comments and has appeared on the ice for each session thus far. How long he can keep that up is a mystery at this point. He certainly brings the best track record to the table if healthy.
Other than that, Cale Elder and local product Jack McNaughton are fighting for the depth positions with the Hitmen. The team has not expressed whether they will be taking two, three or four goalies with them into the preseason schedule following tomorrow’s annual Black and White intrasquad game.
Whoever grabs the starting job between the pipes will be looking to improve on last year, where the Hitmen finished tied for the third-most goals against with 276.
Helping that turnaround will be a defensive unit that learned from their youth and exposure as a result of injuries, trades and obligations to play for national teams last year.
With the exposure came experience, which in turn will make the blue line a difficult one to crack this season.
Dom Schmiemann (1999), Dakota Krebs (1999) and Zamula (2000) were the three defencemen that came to the Hitmen via trades last year.
Zamula has the more offensive upside and was listed by NHL Central Scouting last year, but went undrafted. Schmiemann and Krebs both play a physical brand of hockey with a mean streak in front of their own net.
Schmiemann and Zamula have been on the ice for all sessions this week, while Krebs participated in his first game action this morning during the rescheduled three-on-three drill at the Kyle Stuart Memorial Arena.
Jackson van de Leest (2001) enters his draft eligible year after an ankle injury limited his 16-year-old season to 36 games. He, like Schmiemann, Zamula and Krebs brings a long, physical body to the blue line.
Layne Toder (2000) was arguably the top defenceman for the Hitmen last year following the trade of Jake Bean. Toder is a calm, smooth skater entering his 18-year-old season and will anchor one of the power play units.
There’s five starting spots right there to reliable, experienced defencemen.
Trying to squeeze into the final starting spot will be Andrew Viggars (2000) and Devan Klassen (2001).
Viggars missed a large chunk of time with a broken hand and was a healthy scratch during much of his rookie season. He wasn’t the most fleet of foot last year, but he also brings a 6-foot-3, 196-pound frame to the blue line. He also showed really well during the fitness testing, when he won the 300-yard shuttle in 55.86 seconds and leaped 292-centimetres in the standing long jump.
Klassen debuted as a 16-year-old last year on an emergency basis, but was used sparingly in his nine games of action.
One 16-year-old that could take a huge jump up the depth chart is Luke Prokop (2002), the Hitmen’s first-round pick from the 2017 draft.
Like Klassen, Prokop was called up on an emergency basis and played 14 games for the Hitmen. He was also a part of the Team Canada World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Developmental Camp this summer and will make it hard on the coaching staff to reassign him to the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.
New Head Coach Steve Hamilton’s decision on how he wants to utilize the blue line on his power play could be the make or break point for Prokop who has some offensive upside. Prokop should at least hang with the club throughout the preseason schedule and make the his roster decision a difficult one.
Up front there are a lot of familiar faces, but lots of open jobs.
The fourth line was an issue for the Hitmen last season regardless who made up the unit. As a result, the fourth line also presents the most bubble scenarios this year.
Zach Huber (2000), Orca Wiesblatt (2000) and Hunter Campbell (2001) are the returning contributors from the fourth line last year and could be in a fight for a roster spot.
The Hitmen dealt one of the other fourth-line players in Justyn Gurney (2000) to the Regina Pats at the draft and saw Cael Zimmerman (2001) climb up the depth chart in the second half of the season and earn valuable ice time.
The 2001-born players pushing for spots in their 17-year-old seasons will be Dylan Nevil, Tye Carriere, Connor Brock, Ryan Shostak, Bryce Bader and Ty Naaykens.
Bader was the only one to play with the Hitmen last year, when he appeared in three games in January and was held off the score sheet. Bader made his debut as a 15-year-old in one game against the Kootenay ICE and was one of the final cuts this time last year.
“Last year I had a lot of growing up to do; I probably wasn’t ready. This year I feel a lot more prepared after a strong summer,” said Bader. “This is probably the biggest year of my hockey career so far. Last year I learned not to take anything for granted and that one bad day, one bad shift can make or break it for you, so keep grinding and stay consistent. Earning a roster spot this year would be huge for me.”
Naaykens and Nevil are newcomers to Hitmen camp, while Shostak was a member of the rookie camp last year.
Carriere was supposed to be at rookie camp last year but missed it due to an injury. The Red Deer native had a strong season in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) last season, as he scored 18 goals and 32 points in 34 games.
Nevil competed all season against Carriere in the AMHL eventually represented the Pacific at the Telus Cup as a member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Brock is a local product who played for the Calgary Flames of the AMHL last season and scored 13 goals and 27 points in 34 games. He also reached the annual intrasquad game last year before getting reassigned.
There are only two 2000-born forwards remaining in camp that didn’t see any action with the Hitmen last year.
Cameron Judson comes from the Junior B ranks of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, where he spent last season with the Port Moody Panthers and Grandview Steelers, where he racked up 11 goals and 20 points in 27 games.
Colby Wolter is the other 18-year-old looking to crack the WHL ranks. Last season he played 33 games with the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and posted 13 points in 33 games.
Timo Pelto (1999) is the only American in camp without previous experience with the team. The 6-foot forward spent last season with the Yellowstone Quake of the North American 3 Hockey League, where in 46 games, he notched 21 goals and 23 assists.
Ryder Korczak (2002) is an interesting name to keep an eye on during the preseason camp. The former second-round pick from the 2017 WHL Draft hung with the Hitmen for two preseason games and played three regular season games as a 15-year-old last year.
While a handful of players battle it out for minutes on the bottom six, the Hitmen will return a very entertaining group of forwards that will benefit from starting a season together.
After the massive turnover as a result of the key trades last year, the Hitmen found themselves with plenty of options up front and will be looking to fill the minutes from graduating players Jakob Stukel and Conner Chaulk.
The story about Riley Stotts’ transformation into a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has been told, and to break him up with Kryski at this point almost seems illegal.
Zimmerman shot up the depth chart at the end of the year and found himself centring a line with two former first-round WHL picks in Carson Focht and Tristen Nielsen.
Coleman is an anchor on both special team unit and claimed he spent all summer improving his offensive game. He has the ability to slide up and down the lineup with ease; he just needs a find a few partners to tag along for the drive.
The majority of these players will get one final chance to prove themselves during the intrasquad game tomorrow afternoon, where after that, the Hitmen will finalize their preseason roster.
There are some certainties in the Hitmen lineup this season, but even more options up and down the lineup. The intrasquad game should be extremely competitive with lots of jobs on the line. Roster questions for the 2018-19 Hitmen will begin to answer themselves tomorrow afternoon at the Kyle Stuart Memorial Arena. Puck drop is set for noon.
