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Rebels young forwards must play big role this season

Rebels could feature seven 17-year-olds forwards on opening night
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Oleg Zaytsev, the Red Deer Rebels 17th overall pick in the 2018 CHL Import Draft is expected to play top minutes for the team this year. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)

Cell phones were just pushing into popular culture when more than half a dozen Red Deer Rebels forwards were born back in 2001.

Now religiously tethered to those devices, the Rebels will feature a very young look up front in 2018-19.

When the puck drops on the WHL season Sept. 21, Red Deer could dress as many as seven 17-year-olds forwards and a 16-year-old.

On the surface that looks like a rebuild, but Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter is confident in the ability of those young forwards to produce.

“We just have to continue to work with them and be patient with the process. Understand that this is where we’re at. This is going into year three after hosting the Memorial Cup. We knew this would be the stage we’re in. This will be the youngest team I’ve ever had coaching,” Sutter said.

“Not having one 19-year-old forward. But I’m not caught up in ages. From an organizational standpoint, not whether you’re a 17, 18 or 19-year-old. We’re looking at players that we want to develop into good players. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s what type of player you are. “

Now entering his 14th season as a WHL head coach, Sutter said the staff will have to do a lot of teaching with the young roster this season.

With such a young group, inevitably there will be mistakes and hard lessons to learn.

“There’s development you go through. It’s something from a coach’s perspective, you have to spend a lot of time with it,” Sutter said.

“A lot of mistakes. They’re going to learn, get better and improve. These players have to all be good students of the game. Which we do have here. They’re awesome kids.”

If the Rebels hope to secure a fifth straight WHL playoff berth, several of those youngsters will still need to make an impact. Gone are veteran talents Mason McCarty, Kristian Reichel and Graysen Pawlenchuk. That trio combined for 90 of the Rebels’ 209 goals last season.

Beyond veterans Brandon Hagel, Reese Johnson, Jeff de Wit and Josh Tarzwell there will be big minutes up for grabs.

Oleg Zaytsev, the Rebels 17th overall pick in the 2018 CHL Import draft, showed some promise in preseason play with one goal in three games.

He played mostly with Brandon Hagel during exhibition action and could slot into the Rebels top forward group when the season breaks.

“He’s an elite player. A well-established player. As far as his development, he’s on a huge upswing. He’s been awesome. Smart guy, obviously still learning our language,” Sutter said of the 17-year-old Russian forward.

“His advancement is ahead of all the other kids. He’s a player that can handle top six minutes. Whereas the other guys, it’s a process to get them to that.”

Alex Morozoff, 17, who scored six times in 30 WHL games last season after he was called up on Jan. 5, hopes to earn a larger role this season.

“I feel like I’ve matured as a player. With more experience in the league, you see the game how it’s played at this level a lot differently. I’m a lot bigger and stronger this year,” noted the six-foot, 185-pound winger from Saskatoon.

“You see things when you first come into the league, you’re just getting a feel for everything. Now you have a good idea and you adapt… I like to put pucks in the net, so if it’s there, I’ll try and accept that.”

Arshdeep Bains, 17, had two goals in 40 games with Red Deer last year but was on a torrid pace in the BC Major Midget Hockey League before his call-up in December. In 22 games with the Valley West Hawks, he had 16 goals and 40 assists before coming to Red Deer.

Bains will likely earn some power play time early in the year to see if he can find that scoring touch at the next level.

“Just the consistency of being a go-to player. We’ll see, I just have to keep getting better and keep improving and being someone the coach can look to,” said Bains, a six-foot-one, 175-pound winger.

Zak Smith, River Fahey, Blake Sydlowski and Justin Svenson round out the 17-year-olds who might be in line for a breakout. Newly acquired Dallon Melin, 16, might also dress on opening night.

Sutter expects there to be some hard times early in the year but believes that is all part of bringing young players along at the major junior level.

“You have to remember they’re still young players. There’s going to be growing pains and it’s just not the game itself. It’s the mental side. The preparation side of it. Learning how to prepare the right way at this level on a nightly basis,” Sutter said.

“You now are having to play against players that are older than yourself… and not being intimidated by that. Going out and playing.”

The Rebels will drop the puck on the WHL season Sept. 21 in Edmonton, before playing the Red Deer Advocate Home Opener on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Centrium.



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Red Deer Rebels forward Arshdeep Bains is hoping that he can become a go-to player for the club in 2018-19. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)
13558844_web1_180918-RDA-Rebels-Zaytsev-season-preview
Oleg Zaytsev, the Red Deer Rebels 17th overall pick in the 2018 CHL Import Draft is expected to play top minutes for the team this year. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)
13558844_web1_180918-RDA-Rebels-Morozoff-season-preview
Red Deer Rebels forward Alex Morozoff scored six goals in 30 games with the team last year and in his first full season this year and expects to produce more for the team. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)


Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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