In the end, their performances in the McDonald’s Black and White game Wednesday were simply not enough to earn them a longer audition with the Red Deer Rebels.
While goaltender Zach Rakochy, 17, and 16-year-old forward Chase McMurphy were impressive in the club’s intrasquad game at the Centrium, they were among the 14 players reassigned roughly two hours after the contest had ended.
Rakochy, who is expected to rejoin the Melville Millionaires of the SJHL, did not display enough technical skills in training camp for a puck-stopper who is somewhat on the slight side at five-foot-10 and 173 pounds.
“We just felt that at this point he wasn’t ready,” Rebels head coach/vice-president of hockey operations Jesse Wallin said Thursday.
“We didn’t think that he showed us enough in training camp to warrant moving forward, but we’re going to keep him on our list and monitor his play this season.
“He’s a smaller guy who has to get bigger and stronger and he’s got some areas of his game he has to work on. He’s not a big guy, so to play at this level he’s going to have to be really efficient and very intelligent with his positioning. Those are the areas of his game he’s going to have to work on.”
As a result of Wednesday’s deletions of Rakochy, 15-year-old Will Heseltine and Tanner Jaillet, 17, the Rebels have three netminders remaining in camp, and just two — overage veteran Kraymer Barnstable and 16-year-old rookie Bolton Pouliot — are likely to play during the preseason with Darcy Kuemper, 20, slated to attend the Minnesota Wild camp next week.
In the event that the unsigned Kuemper returns to Red Deer, the Rebels won’t carry two overage stoppers into the Western Hockey League season. The back-up job, then, would appear to be Pouliot’s to lose.
“He’s had a very good training camp and he’s a big strong kid,” said Wallin of the six foot, one-half inch Calgary product. “He’s very driven and we just felt that of all the (goaltending prospects) who were here he deserved a chance to move forward.”
McMurphy, meanwhile, was one of the smoothest skaters in camp and scored one goal in regulation time Wednesday and another in the shootout, both of which were picturesque. However, the general consensus among the Rebels coaches and scouts was that the six-foot, 188-pound forward from Chestermere does not currently possess the physical drive needed to be successful at the major junior level.
“He’s very talented, a very skilled player. Ability wise, there’s no doubt that he could play at this level right now,” said Wallin. “But what we found with Chase throughout training camp is that he’s got to be more willing to get his nose dirty.”
McMurphy, who last winter played at the Edge School near Springbank, will try his luck with the Calgary Mustangs of the AJHL.
Two other players reassigned Wednesday will also audition with junior A teams. Davin Stener is off to Brooks to try out with the Bandits of the AJHL and fellow 16-year-old defenceman Danys Chartrand has returned to Winnipeg for a look with the Blues of the MJHL.
Heseltine will play at either the midget 15-year-old or midget AAA level with the Calgary Royals program this winter, while Red Deer native Jaillet will challenge for the starting job with the midget AAA Optimist Rebels.
As for the other two 16-year-olds who drew the short end of the straw, forward Joel Hamilton will suit up with the Edge School varsity team and defenceman David Heath will return to the Southwest Cougars of the Manitoba Midget AAA League.
The list of reassigned players included seven 15-year-olds, none of whom are eligible to play in the WHL until 2011. All seven will reportedly try their luck at the midget AAA level.
Defenceman Dallas Bergstrom will audition with the Leduc Oil Kings, while forwards Stuart Symenuk and Dexter Bricker are expected to play in Saskatoon and Swift Current.
Meanwhile, local product Scott Feser will try to earn a spot with the Optimist Rebels, Spencer Kryczka will audition with the Calgary Flames and Cory Millette will attempt to stick in Moose Jaw, where he played handful of game with the AAA Warriors last season. All three are forwards.
• Wallin signed Pouliot and 16-year-old rearguard Lucas Grayson to player/education contracts Wednesday and was hoping to sign forward Marc McCoy, 16, Thursday.
• The Rebels are back at the Centrium today for a 3 p.m. practice. The 30 players remaining in camp will skate Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at the Collicutt Centre and will return to the Centrium for a 10 a.m. practice Monday.
Red Deer’s first preseason game is Wednesday at Airdrie against the Calgary Hitmen. Game time is 7 p.m.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com