Kozak learning in massive year of transition
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2019 (2183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Tyson Kozak certainly isn’t in Souris anymore.
The five-foot-11, 160-pound forward is enjoying his rookie season with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, but the youngster’s transition may be as big off the ice as it is on. He’s moved from a town of 1,800 to the Oregon city of 650,000.
“Back in my town, there’s no stoplights,” Kozak said with a chuckle. “This is way different.”
Kozak, who turns 17 on Dec. 29 and is in Grade 12, said one of the ways those differences are reflected is at school.
“It was definitely a big change going from my school to this one because my town probably has the same amount of people in it as the school,” Kozak said. “It’s definitely different but a lot of guys are going through the same thing. I just really talk to them about how they deal with it and learn from that. It really helped me a lot.”
He lives about a 20-minute drive from the rink.
After a breakout 2018-19 season with the Southwest Cougars in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League in which scored 26 goals and added 46 assists in 40 games — and also saw him appear in five WHL games last December and January — Kozak returned to Portland in the fall intent on earning a full-time spot in the league he grew up watching.
“My mindset was to just play to the best of my abilities and don’t worry about anyone else,” Kozak said. “I just tried to do the best I could.”
It’s certainly worked.
In nine games this year, he has a pair of goals and an assist: Both goals came on Sept. 27 against the Vancouver Giants.
Despite the early success, he said there has also been a huge learning curve on the ice.
“The speed is of the game is what I found was much different,” Kozak said. “Guys move the puck faster and they anticipate plays way better so it’s harder to make plays and get chances. I think that’s the biggest difference from midget.”
Kozak, who was selected in the sixth round, 121th overall by the Winterhawks in 2017, admitted it took a while for him to find his footing.
“Seeing all the guys and how hard they compete really made me up my game,” Kozak said. “It took me a couple of games to figure out where I need to be and all that.”
That’s not the only change he’s faced. He started the season in his natural position, centre, but now skates on the wing while playing with a pair of Americans, Jack O’Brien and James Stefan.
“Off the start I was playing centre actually and then moved to the wing with two other guys,” Kozak said. “I’m just trying to figure out what I’m doing on the wing and watching other guys because I’m not used to playing that spot but it’s going good.”
The Brandon Wheat Kings visit Portland this evening as they continue their seven-game West Coast road trip. Brandon’s matchup against the Seattle Thunderbirds ended after deadline on Friday.
Kozak isn’t pretending it’s just another game tonight.
“I’m really excited to play a team I grew up watching for years,” Kozak said. “I think it’s going to be a great game and an exciting game.”
He knows Nolan Ritchie the best on the Wheat Kings roster from their many battles in the U18 league and also because they played together on Team Manitoba squads.
The Souris product said the chance to play with the Cougars was a great way to prepare for the WHL.
“It helped me out a lot,” Kozak said. “The coaching was great from Dennis (McNish) and Derek Moar. The guys there made it a lot more fun and a lot better to play with. I loved it.”
Life in the WHL has also changed U18 in another way. Kozak has had to come to grips with the fact that for now, he’s no longer one of the team’s go-to guys.
“It was different going from one of the top lines back in Southwest to the third and fourth line down here but I just try and play my best every shift and try and get as many chances as I can and help our team win,” Kozak said.
He’s not alone in the U.S. Division this season. Two other Souris products, Landon Roberts of the Tri-City Americans and Jordan Chudley of the Spokane Chiefs, also made the move this year.
He spoke to both in the pre-season, and said they’re enjoying life in the U.S. as much as he is.
“These buildings are great to play in,” Kozak said. “The fans are tremendous. I love playing out here. It’s endless support from all the fans.”
Kozak said Portland (5-3-0-1) is a good young team that works hard and plays especially well in its defensive zone. He’s excited about what the squad can accomplish this season, and also about what lies ahead for him.
“I’m just really hoping to get as much experience as I can and grow as a player and a person,” Kozak said. “This is a great organization and they develop great players and people.”
» pbergson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @PerryBergson