Kohen Lodge plays with a tenacity not seen in a lot of younger hockey players these days.
The 16-year-old native of Red Deer loves to get into the dirty areas, whether it’s around the net or in the defensive zone.
“My game is playing hard, a power forward, getting in the corners and creating offence when I get the chance … In the D-Zone playing on the wall and getting pucks out,” he said.
His dad Erik, who is the skills coach with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, sees that in his son.
“He likes to play a hard game, get in the dirty areas around the net. He shoots the puck well and he’s not afraid to get in the hard spots, which I think is a big thing you don’t find in players these days. Luckily for him, he knows how important that is for his game, and he knows he has to do it to generate offence.”
That ability caught the eye of the Saskatoon Blades brass.
The Blades, who selected Kohen in the ninth round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, kept him on their roster to start this season and he rewarded them with a pair of goals and an assist.
“Getting a couple goals early was exciting,” he said. “The first one my parents were there and getting it in my first game was pretty rare.”
Kohen played six games in the early portion of the season and four in December when he was recalled to fill in for injuries and players at the World Junior Championships.
“I thought I played well,” he said. “The opportunity I got has been awesome and basically getting my feet wet and playing with the younger players and developing that chemistry has been good.”
While it was a dream to play in the WHL, Kohen wasn’t upset when he was returned to the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs U18AAA program.
“It’s good. It gives me a chance to play and develop. A chance to kill (penalties) and to be used on the power play.”
Lodge has 11 goals and nine assists in 13 games with the Chiefs and plays on the left side of the top line, which includes team scoring leader Crew Martinson and either Tavish Beagle or Nash Nicolay.
Despite his dad playing and coaching for years, he was never one to push Kohen.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. He helped me with the on-ice and off-ice stuff my whole life, but he never pushed me to play. I picked up a stick at an early age and it was my decision to play.”
Erik agreed.
“For him, he enjoyed the game. I didn’t push him, he came by it naturally being around it a lot. He’s always had a really good brain for the game. His skating was average, but that was similar to me.”
Kohen, who is listed at five-foot-11, 186-pounds, believes his skating played a role when he slipped to the ninth round of the draft.
“I wasn’t a great skater in Bantam, but I didn’t feel that meant a lot, it was how hard you worked. If you have that they will find you.”
His skating has continued to improve, and he hasn’t lost that ability to play hard.
Lodge has continued to take steps in the right direction through the years.
In his draft year, he had 29 goals and 25 assists in 32 games with the U15AAA Red Deer Rebels. In five playoff games, he scored seven times and added a pair of helpers.
The following year, as a 15-year-old, he scored 13 times and added 16 assists in 38 games with the Chiefs.
It was during that season in U15 that Erik saw Kohen’s game take a big stride toward him playing in the WHL.
“I think it started in the U15 year and he’s taken a big stride every year. His big thing is to catch the guys who are ahead of him and he’s finally seeing that happen.”
“It’s important for me to get better every year,” added Kohen. “I never thought I’d be this high when I was younger, but I kept getting better every year and it just came.”
Kohen, who is in Grade 10, has returned to the Chiefs, likely to the end of their season.
“I may return (to Saskatoon) after our season, we’ll see,” he said.
But he’s looking forward to helping the Chiefs move up in the Alberta Elite Hockey League standings.
“I think we’re getting better every game. We’ve struggled scoring but we’re determined to have a better second half.”
As for his future, Kohen would like nothing better than to play professionally.
“It doesn’t matter where. But university is also a possibility,” he said.
Now, with the NCAA accepting players who have played in the CHL, he could see himself even going that route.
“You still have to play well to get a scholarship. But it’s all a huge goal for me.”
Whatever the future holds, you know he’ll work hard to get there.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter and member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame who can be reached at danrode@shaw.ca