With spots on the Brandon Wheat Kings’ blue-line such a precious commodity, Colton Waltz doesn’t want to leave anything to chance during training camp.
The Wheat Kings have six veteran defenceman on their roster, which leaves space for one or maybe two rookies. Waltz appears destined to fill one of those spots, having joined the team as a call-up each of the last two seasons, including the tail end of the regular season and the playoffs this past spring. While he’s confident in his ability to lock down that spot, the 17-year-old from Vermilion, Alta., knows he has to put in the work first.
“(The coaching staff is) not going to give you anything,” said Waltz, who played for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Bonnyville Pontiacs last season, scoring three goals and adding nine assists in 41 games while picking up 39 penalty minutes. “You’ve got to work for everything out here. You’ve got to show that you can be there (on the roster) and then it will be yours.”
Waltz is one of just four rookie defencemen left in camp who are old enough to play in the Western Hockey League this season, joining 17-year-old Brandonite Ty Webber and the 16-year-old trio of Dominic Thom, Riley Van Horne and Elkhorn’s Brett Orr.
Brandon’s third-round pick in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, the 6-foot-1, 188-pound Waltz has the most experience of the group, playing Junior A last season before joining the Wheat Kings for six regular-season games and five more contests during the playoffs when the club was short on the back end.
“I think it’s a huge advantage,” Waltz said of his experience. “I got to know that playoff speed, which is even faster than the regular season. I think that’s going to bring me up to speed that much faster and let me have a strong start.”
CAMP NOTES: The Wheat Kings have hired former Brandon University Bobcats netminder Brent Zelenewich as their new goaltending coach. Previous goalie coach Matt Cockell is helping out at camp this week, but also works with the Canadian national women’s team and will be too busy this year to make a full commitment to the Wheat Kings … Three players were sidelined for the opening day of main camp on Thursday as LW Dominick Favreau and RW Jens Meilleur sat with sore backs, while rookie C Mackenzie Bauer (shoulder) was also out … Tickets to the Wheat Kings’ regular-season home opener and their two home pre-season games go on sale Tuesday at the Keystone Centre box office. Brandon’s home opener is slated for Friday, Sept. 21 against the Regina Pats. The Wheat Kings also face the Pats on Friday night in their first home pre-season game, then host the Moose Jaw Warriors one week later.
TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE:
At Westman Place
Saturday
Team Gold practice, 8 a.m.
Team White vs. Team Black, 9:30 a.m.
Intrasquad Game, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Intrasquad Game, 2 p.m.
WHEAT KINGS ROSTER:
(61 players)
GOALTENDERS (6) Ht. Wt. Age
Corbin Boes 6-3 216 19
r-Nolan Bray 6-0 175 17
Curtis Honey 5-11 172 18
r-Jordan Papirny 6-0 175 16
x-Evan Robert 5-9 153 15
x-Logan Thompson 6-0 133 15
DEFENCEMEN (16) Ht. Wt. Age
x-Tanner Browne 5-11 196 15
Rene Hunter 6-0 205 19
x-Aaron Kellogg 5-10 191 15
x-Matt Matsuba 5-11 170 15
Ryley Miller 6-0 177 20
Ayrton Nikkel 6-1 201 17
r-Brett Orr 5-9 155 16
Ryan Pulock 6-1 214 18
Eric Roy 6-3 190 18
x-Mark Taraschuk 5-11 178 15
r-Dominic Thom 6-2 186 16
r-Riley Van Horne 6-1 186 16
r-Colton Waltz 6-1 188 17
r-Ty Webber 5-9 168 17
x-Evan Werle 5-7 152 15
Tyler Yaworski 6-4 205 20
FORWARDS (39) Ht. Wt. Age
x-Wade Allison 5-10 153 15
Daniel Asham 6-2 201 18
ri-Mackenzie Bauer 5-8 163 16
Alessio Bertaggia 5-9 165 19
r-Jordan Bochinski 5-11 163 16
x-Dakota Boutin 5-10 164 15
Nick Buonassisi 5-10 188 20
r-Taylor Cooper 6-0 180 17
r-Tyler Coulter 5-11 200 16
x-Tristan Elder 6-1 161 15
i-Dominick Favreau 5-10 194 20
x-Jesse Gabrielle 5-10 187 15
r-Kailum Gervais 6-0 203 17
r-Hayden Goderis 5-11 184 17
r-Liam Gregor 5-9 164 16
r-Corey Haverstick 5-9 153 17
r-Jayce Hawryluk 5-10 186 16
r-Kyler Hehn 5-11 180 17
r-Brett Kitt 6-0 185 16
r-Ryley Lindgren 5-11 165 16
r-Quintin Lisoway 5-10 185 17
x-Conner Lukan 5-8 163 15
x-Kirklan Lycar 5-11 166 15
x-Liam MacLeod 5-11 186 15
r-Geordie Maguire 6-0 165 17
r-Nick Mathews 5-11 177 16
r-Tim McGauley 6-0 177 17
i-Jens Meilleur 6-1 190 19
r-Jason Miller 5-8 155 16
r-Richard Nejezchleb 6-2 212 18
r-Jack Palmer 6-2 183 17
r-Kord Pankewicz 5-10 190 16
r-John Quenneville 6-0 194 16
Tyrel Seaman 6-2 217 18
x-Braylon Shmyr 5-8 140 15
r-Hunter Smith 6-1 185 17
r-Dallas Starodub 6-1 180 16
r-Brandon Switzer 5-9 161 17
Jason Swyripa 5-7 165 19
r — rookie; i — injured; x — 15-year-old ineligible to play full-time in WHL this season.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition September 1, 2012
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