It didn't take long for Red Deer Rebels rookie Beckett Hamilton to make an impact.
In just his sixth Western Hockey League (WHL) game, the 16-year-old forward from Humboldt, Sask. scored his first WHL goal against the Medicine Hat Tigers last Friday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
"It felt pretty good to get the first one over with so now I don't have to worry about that anymore," he said. "Hopefully, I can keep it going."
The youngster put the Rebels up 1-0 early in the first period after he pounced on a big rebound. He fired it into the open net after Matthew Gard's shot redirected off the goaltender's right pad and onto his stick.
"I expected the shot by Gard but I didn't expect it to pop out right in front of me. It kind of popped there and I had to react quickly but it came out in the perfect spot. All I had to do was tap it in so I was pretty lucky."
Hamilton was drafted by the Rebels in the first round, 18th overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
He played last year with the Warman Wildcats U18 AAA squad where he contributed 54 points in 44 games including 21 goals and 33 assists. He added three points in five playoff games before joining the Rebels in three regular-season games as a 15-year-old at the end of last season.
He's now played an additional three games and recorded his first point in the WHL on a line with Samuel Drancak and Jhett Larson. He said as time's gone on he's felt more comfortable.
"I'm feeling more normal now. Just practicing makes it all feel more comfortable and I'm getting more used to it. I'd say I'm pretty comfortable now," he said on Tuesday.
Part of that process was time itself, which was needed to adjust.
"I just realized all the work I have to put in to work with these guys as hard as they do. It's pretty tough but I'm getting used to it," he said.
"In the WHL game, there's bigger guys and everyone's smarter, more in position, and a lot more structured overall. It's a bit harder but I like it."
His father Lee played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Kelowna Rockets from 1993-97. After that, he went on to have a career in the ECHL from 1997-2001.
The rookie is also a great-nephew to Kelowna Rockets Owner, President, and General Manager Bruce Hamilton.
Rebels head coach Dave Struch has liked what he's seen from Hamilton so far.
"He's a young skilled guy who definitely has the work ethic. Moving forward what he gains in the hockey IQ side is going to be a really big asset because he already has natural offensive instincts," Struch said.
"He wants to learn how to play away from the puck. When you put that combination together with his work ethic and the battle he's executing every night, it's just going to grow into the future."
Struch wasn't surprised to see Hamilton score his first WHL goal so early on in his rookie season and expects to see more of it this season.
"The hard part for him is going to be when he's not getting those points and understanding it's part of being a 16-year-old and not forgetting that he's playing 15-17 minutes a night, which is a lot for a young guy," Struch added.
"He's earning it. When he goes in a points drought as long as he's still working and getting opportunities these will be important for him to understand."
