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Elson grows into role

Turner Elson had the speed and energy to play in the Western Hockey League as a 16-year-old, it was his size that held him back.
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Turner Elson has scored 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 16 games while playing two-way role for the Red Deer Rebels this year

Turner Elson had the speed and energy to play in the Western Hockey League as a 16-year-old, it was his size that held him back.

Elson, who wasn’t picked in the WHL bantam draft as a 14-year-old, was only five-foot-five at best when he arrived in the Red Deer Rebels camp as a 16-year-old. But he impressed the Rebels coaching staff, who kept him in mind despite sending him back to St. Albert for another season with the midget AAA team.

“He was a pleasant surprise and impressed since he stepped on the ice,” said Rebels head coach/vice-president of hockey operations Jesse Wallin. “He was undersized when he came to camp, but we liked what we saw. He didn’t have the size to compete then, but when we brought him back as a 17-year-old he had grown six to seven inches.

“That added size and strength allowed him to be a factor.”

Elson, who is now over five-foot-11 and 170-pounds, is the first to say he’s come a long way.

“A long way since no one wanted me,” he said. “I was just trying to get to a place to make it and I worked hard to get there. And once there I worked hard to keep improving and Wally has helped a lot.”

Elson had a tremendous camp as a 17-year-old leaving Wallin with no option but to keep him.

“He got better and better throughout the season and ended up being a key cog in our team at the end of the season and this year he just continued on.”

Elson has the speed, tenacity and now the size to be a factor in the WHL. But Wallin believes his intelligence and understanding of the game to be his major strength.

“That’s a key part of his game,” said Wallin. “ He’s a tremendous skater, good speed, very tenacious and very intelligent out there. He picks up on things real well, reads the play well and is very coachable which allows you to play him in any situation. You can play him up a goal, down a goal, on the penalty kill, the power play, five-on-three or on any of the top lines.

“As a coach he’s a real treat to have on the bench. In any of those situations you know what you’re going to get from him.

“He’s someone you can put on the ice when you’re a bit flat as he’ll throw a check, drive the net or become involved physically.”

Elson enjoys whatever role he’s given.

“I do what’s asked of me,” he said. “I don’t back down. I’ll play everywhere and on any line if they ask me to be a shutdown player.”

What he does do is take pride in the penalty kill, which is ranked second in the league back of Spokane.

“I love the PK,” he said. “It’s something I take a lot of pride in. It’s an important part of the game, if you don’t have a good PK you don’t have good special teams.”

Wallin says Elson and Adam Kambeitz are two of the main cogs in that penalty kill.

“They don’t show up on the scoresheet every night, but a strong penalty kill can be a momentum changer. Their tenacity and willingness to block shots and get in the way of the puck are all things that contribute to a successful team.”

But Elson isn’t all defence.

Last year he finished with nine goals and eight assists while this year he’s contributed 16 goals and 15 helpers heading into the team’s final two league games against Edmonton this weekend.

“It’s been an exciting year, but I expect even a little more out of myself,” he said. “I’m doing pretty good compared to what I did last year . . . I’m improving and having a lot of fun.

“Offensively I feel good, but I’ve had a lot of chances and feel I could do more.”

What Elson does realize is that his speed gets him into trouble at times.

“I can’t have my feet going quicker than my hands and mind,” he said with a smile. “At times it’s hard to get everything going just right, but it’s getting better.”

But even without a lot of points Elson, who was captain during his second year of midget, knows he can contribute as one of the team leaders.

“I feel like I can talk with the coaches more and I’m comfortable speaking with everyone on the bench.”

drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com