The Red Deer Rebels' defensive core has been one of the WHL's best over the last few seasons and that won't change in 2024.
Led by two 20-year-old defencemen Hunter Mayo and Jace Weir, Red Deer will roster a veteran group on the blue line aside from rookie additions Luke Vlooswyk and Jake Missura.
Matteo Fabrizi and Derek Thurston will be among the important returning rearguards as well as Quentin Bourne to round out the top seven.
"We've got our vets coming back that have been here for a while. For some of the guys it's been five years now so they know exactly how things need to work around here," Fabrizi told The Advocate.
"The young guys, sure they're young but they're ready to play and they know what's expected. They don't get any less expectation just because they're younger they've got to come and perform the way that that's expected for the whole group."
"You can't be letting in too many goals because it puts lots of pressure on your forwards to put the puck in the net when it's not easy to do.
As a 19-year-old Fabrizi will be looking to take an increased role on the team, especially as a leader. He plans to use his voice when it's needed but for the most part, will lead by example.
"Every day on the ice with how you're going to work, how you're going to the little things right, all the small details, and do what the coaches are asking," he said.
In the 2023-24 campaign, the Rebels were among one of the top teams defensively. By season's end, they allowed the sixth least amount of goals in out of 22 WHL teams.
Fabrizi said what's made them so successful is their size, skating ability, and the systems they have in place.
"It's something we work on every day, and we just compete. That's all it is," he said.
"You never come into the year expecting anything less than to win so we're here to win. We don't want to put a ceiling on just being a playoff team or a second-round team like we have been. Our goal is to win the whole thing."
Head coach Dave Struch said they should be strong defensively this season which will be a credit to the work they've put in through the preseason and training camp.
"These guys if they push themselves and pay attention to the hockey IQ side of things such as playing without the puck, we hope to be hard to play against," he said.
"I think to this point with how we've done in our training and practices we're getting better at it every day but we don't stop trying to be better every day."
Struch explained the team's compete and effort level has been their key to defensive prowess in recent years.
"These kids I think when you follow those older guys in how they play and compete, the rest takes care of itself."
