Justin Weller would prefer to be playing for pay this winter.
But he realizes that another season — his final year of eligibility — at the major junior level will make him a better pro when he does move up to the next level on a permanent basis in 12 months time.
“It’s a little bit disappointing coming back here but I’m coming back to a great team and a great organization and I’m just excited for the new season,” the 20-year-old Red Deer Rebels defenceman said Wednesday.
Weller returned to Red Deer earlier this week after attending his third training camp with the Phoenix Coyotes, who selected the six-foot-three, 211-pound product of Daysland in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL entry draft. He signed an entry-level deal with the Coyotes in June but was aware that he wasn’t in their plans for this season.
“There’s definitely some things I need to work on and I think it’s just going to benefit me a lot more by coming down and getting a lot more ice time than I probably would in the American League (with the Coyotes No. 1 farm team),” said Weller. “It’s better that I be here and play over 20 minutes a night instead of playing in the AHL and getting into 30 some games as the sixth or seventh D-man.”
Weller received some parting words from the Coyotes coaches, words of advice that he’ll take to heart while playing a major role with the Rebels during the 2011-12 Western Hockey League season.
“They just want me to work on being a big physical presence and a leader with this team,” said the veteran rearguard. “I can push the younger guys and show them what it takes to play at this level. The message was just be a mentor and a big physical presence.”
Weller attended the Coyotes rookie camp with Rebels teammate and forward Adam Kambeitz — who received a free-agent invitation — and then moved on to main camp.
“It was a real good experience. We played two rookie games in Los Angeles and during my last couple of days at main camp I scrimmaged with the older guys. It’s always a great experience to play with guys you grew up watching on TV,” said Weller.
During main-camp scrimmages, Weller was a teammate of Coyotes captain Shane Doan.
“He’s just a great guy, a real personable guy who is easy to talk to,” said Weller.
“He treats all the rookies with lots of respect. Then you have guys like Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin, older, veteran D-men they have on the team that I look up to and aspire to be one day.”
l While Weller will be front and centre when the Rebels take on the Kootenay Ice in their WHL regular-season opener Friday at the Centrium, the team will have to make do without the services of all-stars Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Alex Petrovic.
Nugent-Hopkins will stay with the Edmonton Oilers for the time being and in fact may have played his last game in the WHL. Petrovic, meanwhile, is enjoying a strong camp with the Florida Panthers and won’t be back in time for Friday’s opener or the 3 p.m. Sunday meeting with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings.
l Forward Turner Elson suited up with a Calgary Flames split squad in a 5-1 win over Vancouver Tuesday at Calgary and was expected to be back in Red Deer today. However, Elson, who played 17 shifts and had one shot on goal during his 15 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time Tuesday, has been assigned to skate with the Flames AHL affiliate — the Abbotsford Heat — which would mean he is questionable for the Rebels’ season-opener.
Former Rebels defenceman Jordan Henry, who recently signed with the Flames, picked up one assist while playing 23 shifts in 17:29 Tuesday.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com