For forward Kalan Lind and other members of the Red Deer Rebels born in 2005, this season may just be one of the most important seasons to date.
At the end of the 2022-23 season Lind, along with Talon Brigley, Matteo Fabrizi, and others will be eligible for the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
“It’s a humongous year for us, the ‘05 age group is a big group… It’s a big year for all of us so hopefully come out this year and the team and each individual succeeds,” he said.
Despite the individual benefits on the line this season, Lind is focused on the success of the Rebels and wants to bring a championship to the city.
“Coming into this year I think I have an opportunity to be a high pick player but I think it’s more of a team mindset right now at the start of the year and throughout the year going into playoffs.
“It’s just a winning mindset this year and wanting to win the Memorial Cup.”
Lind can’t wait to get the regular season underway and after four preseason games, he said he’s getting back into game shape. The team has been working hard both on the ice and in the gym with the new season right around the corner.
Throughout the offseason, the Shaunavon, Sask. product said his strength was number one on his priority list to improve. Lind had a busy summer adding on some muscle and even played for the Canadian Men’s National U18 Summer team during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer.
“I and the coaches talked last year after the season and kind of just said it would be nice to get some muscle and come with speed. I just focused on lifting weights this summer and getting ready for this year to get stronger and bigger,” he said adding he put on an extra five pounds of muscle.
In the offseason, Lind lives in Saskatoon with his brother Kole, who is a forward for the Seattle Kraken, where the pair worked out together. He added having his brother in the gym to push each other was beneficial to improving.
“Kole and I together we just pushed each other to get it to the next level,” Lind said.
He has also put in some work defensively focusing on the little details and trying to grasp those as he moves to the middle this year as a centerman.
Lind likes the moves the management team has made to improve the team including adding blueliners Mats Lindgren and Tanner Brown as well as Craig Armstrong in the forward group. He said it will be great to see what the new additions and younger players can do to help the team this year.
Head coach Steve Konowalchuk said he has liked what he’s seen from his forward group. It starts with the speed up front, plenty of tenacity, as well as player growth.
In his second season behind the Rebels bench, Konowalchuk likes the depth at forward and said the competition among the lines is important to keep the players on their toes.
“And for them to push each other. You can get complacent if you don’t have the depth to move lines around but also I think we’re going to be a team that relies on the forwards all chipping in,” he explained.
“At this point, you don’t know I’m sure over the season a couple of guys will evolve a little bit more as one of the go-to guys but really everyone in the lineup can chip in and help score and create offence.”
Konowalchuk is confident they have enough chemistry and depth that all lines should be able to succeed.
“At this point do we have a Ben King or an Arshdeep Bains? It doesn’t look to appear that anybody has stepped up to be that yet but we have different kinds of players who can be just as effective in two-way style hockey games,” he said.
Red Deer’s bench boss expects some of the veteran players to lead the way this season including Lind who he said is still young but will have some key parts and ice time upfront.
“We expect Grubbe to take a bigger role, Uchacz, Isley. These guys are all a year older and have been around it they’ve done it more so there is a lot of guys that have grown and should grow this year,” he added.
The team also added some offensive potential to the group in the offseason adding Craig Armstrong to the lineup. In August they acquired Armstrong from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for a second-round selection at the 2023 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, a fourth-round selection at the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, and a fifth-round selection at the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 19-year-old said he’s feeling pretty good about his game and thinks the team is shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with this season.
“I think we have a lot of depth. I don’t know what it was like last year but I obviously know that there were the two guys who led the league. We have a lot of depth on this team and it’s not just going to be one guy it’s going to be everyone and we’re going to need everyone,” Armstrong said.
The Crossfield, Alta. product said he was excited to be traded to the Rebels and his split with the Cougars was mutual. He was in need of a fresh start and is confident his role in Red Deer will be a good fit.
“Your WHL career is only so long and I think it was just time that I change it up,” he added.
This season he hopes to find more consistency in his game but is confident in his speed and hockey sense. He knows where he needs to be on the ice to get opportunities to score and hopes to take advantage of that.
“I think those are two main areas where I think that separates me from other players.”
The Red Deer Rebels season opener is Friday in Edmonton, followed by the Red Deer Advocate Home Opener on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Peavey Mart Centrium.