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Red Deer players giving Olds Grizzlys some bite

The Olds Grizzlys’ pipeline into Red Deer is wide open.In the opinion of head coach Brett Hopfe, it’s about time.

OLDS — The Olds Grizzlys’ pipeline into Red Deer is wide open.

In the opinion of head coach Brett Hopfe, it’s about time.

“We went after Red Deer players pretty heavily this summer,” Hopfe said Tuesday following a 2-1 overtime win over the visiting Grande Prairie Storm.

The Grizzlys bench boss recruited five Red Deer players to join his Alberta Junior Hockey League club this season, including three members — forwards Chris Gerrie, Dustin Gorgi and Jack Goranson — of the 2013 Telus Cup national champion Red Deer midget AAA Optimist Chiefs. In addition, Derrick Morrell played sparingly with the Optimist Chiefs and fellow forward Kyle Moore skated in a B.C. junior B loop last winter.

“These guys come from a tradition of winning and with the way our team has been the past three to four years we want to bring in guys who have won before, players who have that confidence and know how to win,” said Hopfe. “These Red Deer players are all guys who have tremendous character and that’s big for myself and the other coaches with our team . . . to have guys with character who want to work hard at getting better every day.

“I think it’s something our organization has lacked in the past and something we want to continue to do because the (midget AAA) program in Red Deer is obviously very strong.

“This organization made a bad mistake in not getting more Red Deer players in the past.”

As Hopfe noted, the Red Deer players bring various attributes to the team, as does another former Chief — Big Valley native Ty Mappin, who was surprisingly reassigned to the Grizzlys by the Everett Silvertips after playing as WHL rookie last season.

“Chris Gerrie obviously has tremendous skill, the same as Ty Mappin, two guys who are very high end,” said Hopfe. “Then you have a couple of guys like Goranson and Gorgi who bring a bit of grit and can still finish. The thing I like about those guys is they don’t give up. They work hard and they compete every night.”

The Olds bench boss is anxious for the six-foot-four, 205-pound Moore, currently out with an injury, to return to the Grizzlys lineup.

“He’s been great for us, a key guy,” said Hopfe. “We miss him a lot. He’s a role player, a penalty killer and a guy who likes to mix it up a bit and stick up for his teammates. There have been other guys who have tried to fill his role but just haven’t filled his skates.”

Gerrie is the club’s second leading scorer with 25 points (9-16) in 26 games, sitting behind Olds native and team captain Spencer Dorowicz (17-15-32).

“It’s been a good start for me, for sure. Now I have to stay consistent,” said Gerrie.

“It’s been a big plus to have good friends on the team right from the start. I played with some of these guys last year and I know the other (Red Deer) guys who are here.”

The Grizzlys roster also includes two other Red Deer natives in forward BJ Duffin, who was with the 2012 Telus Cup champion Chiefs, and 16-year-old defenceman Jesse Freeborn, who appeared in four games with the 2012-13 Chiefs and has played one game with Olds this season.

When Hopfe called Gerrie during the summer, the 17-year-old forward jumped at the chance to join the Grizzlys.

“I was excited to have the chance to come and play here,” he said. “I realized this was going to be a rebuilding year for the team and I’m just happy to help.”

Gerrie noted that playing under Optimist Chiefs head coach Doug Quinn last winter helped him prepare for the next level.

“He treated us like junior players and participating in his hard practices helped me with adjusting to the pace of junior hockey,” he said. “I learned to think a lot faster which is really necessary at this level.”

The Grizzlys possess a 10-11-5 record and are tied for fifth place in the South Division, but Gerrie sees blue skies ahead.

“We’re building every game. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season because we’re young,” he said. “That’s OK, it comes with being inexperienced and our older players are helping the rookies a lot.”

Hopfe has been more than satisfied with the contributions of the Grizzlys older players as the club continues to build with 11 rookies on the roster.

“All of our captains, including Spencer, are guys who worked extremely hard to get where they’re at,” he said. “A lot of them started off at the bottom of our roster. Spencer himself was a fourth-line guy when we first brought him in here, and he worked his way up to the first line.

“How these older guys work rubs off on our younger players and we have a lot of younger guys this year.”

Six players — forward Logan Fisher and defencemen Kolton Dixon, Joel Topping, Kirk Johnson, Colton Bobyk and Jordan Steenbergen — from the last two Telus Cup champion Chiefs teams are currently playing in the Western Hockey League, while a larger number are playing junior A.

That number includes Dylan and Chase Thudium, Scott Feser, Scott Ferguson, Stefan Danielson, Cole Berreth, Tanner Lomsnes, Quinn Brown, Rory Davidson, Brady Bakke, Matt Zentner, Dasan Sydora, Kaleb Denham, Ian McLellan and Jody Sick.

Following is a list of Central Alberta players participating in junior A leagues this season (year of birth is included):

Goal (W-L-T, GAA, save %)

AJHL — Fort McMurray Oil Barons: Tanner Jailett, ‘93, Red Deer (13-1-2, 1.79, .940); Whitecourt Wolverines: Mac Engel, ‘93, Red Deer (no games played); Camrose Kodiaks: Matt Zentner, ‘95, Red Deer (3-6-2, 2.45, .901); Olds Grizzlys: Ethan Jemieff, ‘93, Olds (8-7-3, 2.69, .917); Drumheller Dragons: Adam Beukeboom, ‘94, Sundre (5-1-1, 2.24, .921).

SJHL — La Ronge Ice Wolves: Dasan Sydora, ‘94, Red Deer (5-3-0, 3.88, .907).

Defence (GP-G-A-Pts-PIM)

AJHL — Drayton Valley Thunder: Dallen Hall, ‘93, Red Deer (23-1-3-4-21); Grande Prairie Storm: Kaleb Denham, ‘96, Innisfail (14-1-1-2-6); Lloydminster Bobcats: Taylor Mulder, ‘95, Lacombe (24-6-4-10-75); Camrose Kodiaks: Dallas Bergstrom, ‘95, Bashaw (19-0-3-3-35); Quinn Brown, ‘95, Red Deer (22-2-0-2-25); Stefan Danielson, ‘95, Red Deer (23-0-2-2-42); Okotoks Oilers: Josh Smith, ‘94, Lacombe (18-6-5-11-33); Olds Grizzlys: Jesse Freeborn, ‘97, Red Deer (1-0-0-0-0); Matt Hanger, ‘93, Three Hills (21-2-2-4-75); Cale Brown, ‘96, Olds (21-1-6-7-29).

SJHL — Kindersley Klippers: Conner Veroba, ‘95, Red Deer (11-1-3-4-6); Melville Millionaires: Cole Berreth, ‘94, Bowden (12-0-5-5-6).

Forwards (GP-G-A-Pts-PIM)

AJHL — Bonnyville Pontiacs: Brady Bakke, ‘94, Red Deer (20-3-4-7-21); Grande Prairie Storm: Dylan Thudium, ‘94, Sylvan Lake (22-4-3-7-23); Ian McLellan, ‘95, Red Deer (22-0-2-2-18); Chase Thudium, ‘96, Sylvan Lake (24-4-4-8-15); Lloydminster Bobcats: Tanner Dunkle, ‘93, Red Deer (25-10-13-23-40); Ryan Swier, ‘96, Lacombe (22-2-4-6-16); Spruce Grove Saints: Dylan Hollman, ‘94, Red Deer (17-13-4-17-12); Whitecourt Wolverines: Jaden Sveinson, ‘96, Red Deer (7-0-1-1-19); Drumheller Dragons: Rory Davidson, ‘95, Delburne (20-3-1-4-22); Chris Rauckman, ‘94, Red Deer (23-12-4-16-27); Camrose Kodiaks: Ryker Leer, ‘95, Red Deer (23-7-3-10-25); Jody Sick, ‘95, Red Deer (18-3-3-6-33); Scott Ferguson, ‘95, Sylvan Lake (20-1-2-3-20); Okotoks Oilers: Scott Feser, ‘95, Red Deer (15-0-8-8-8); Connor Hartley, ‘93, Red Deer (25-4-16-20-27); Olds Grizzlys: Chris Gerrie, ‘96, Red Deer (26-9-16-25-5); Landon Kletke, ‘95, Trochu (24-3-6-9-112); Kyle Moore, ‘94, Red Deer (16-1-2-3-68); Spencer Dorowicz, ‘93, Olds (26-17-15-32-29); BJ Duffin, ‘94, Red Deer (24-4-10-14-68); Dustin Gorgi, ‘95, Red Deer (26-4-7-11-46); Derrick Morrell, ‘95, Red Deer (16-1-1-2-17); Jack Goranson, ‘95, Red Deer (23-2-3-5-32); Ty Mappin, ‘96, Big Valley (18-1-6-7-21).

SJHL — Battleford North Stars: Robin Carlson, ‘94, Sylvan Lake (11-2-1-3-0); Flin Flon Bombers: Brody Robinson, ‘93, Red Deer (17-1-4-5-25), Landon Hiebert, ‘93, Red Deer (13-0-1-1-36); Melfort Mustangs: Anthony Pickering, ‘93, Sylvan Lake (15-6-11-17-8); Travis Mayan, ‘95, Rimbey (13-9-7-16-8).

MJHL — Dauphin Kings: Daulton Siwak, ‘93, Olds (21-5-13-18-8); Tanner Lomsnes, ‘94, Red Deer (4-4-3-7-4); Neepawa Natives: Jaret Smith, ‘93, Red Deer (8-2-8-10-17); OCN Blizzard: Suede Omeasoo, ‘94, Hobbema (16-0-2-2-13).

gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com