Nolan Chastko attributes Virden’s playoff hockey success to depth

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This article was published 11/04/2024 (724 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was not an auspicious debut on skates for Virden Oil Capitals sophomore forward Nolan Chastko.

“I was three or four when I first started on skates,” he recalled. “Dad put me on skates and put me out on our backyard arena … I hated it.

“He purposely put me in the middle of the ice, and I didn’t move. I cried, and screamed … I was not a huge fan.”

A lot has changed since then, as 18-year-old Chastko is in his second full season with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League team located 40 minutes west of his birthplace in Brandon.

“There was not a love for hockey at first, but I grew into it and now love playing hockey,” he said.

Coincidently, father Todd and son Nolan share a common bond when it comes to playing for the U18 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings.

“It’s super cool to see his old U18 jerseys hanging up in our basement when I was growing up, then to play for the same team he played for 35 years before.”

Todd Chastko played two seasons for the Wheat Kings during the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. In his rookie season, he had 18 goals and 32 points in 32 games. The following season, in 29 games he scored 21 goals and finished with 42 points.

In contrast, his son’s rookie season with the U18 AAA team was short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nolan was enjoying an offensively productive season, with seven goals and 10 points in just eight games before all sports were cancelled.

The following season, he scored a team-high 53 goals and finished with 81 points in 43 games. His 53 goals eclipsed Mark Derlago’s record of 48.

His 60 goals in two seasons has Chastko sitting eighth among Wheat Kings alumni, 20 points back of leader Duncan Campbell.

While dad went on to play with the now-defunct Brandon University Bobcats hockey team after leaving the Wheat Kings, his son has enjoyed two seasons with the Oil Capitals.

“When I played for the Wheat Kings I took my dad’s number 18, which was pretty cool,” he said.

The left-shooting five-foot-eight, 152-pound centerman can rely on his dad for hockey advice still, no matter if he is playing U15 AAA or junior.

“My dad is not your typical hockey father … if I want advice he’ll provide it. He comes out to watch my games, to support me,” he offered. “I’ll watch my own shifts [during video analysis with the Virden coaches] and we’ll text each other on how I could do things better on the ice.

“Dad is not going to rip me, he’s there to help me because he knows me best. He’s always willing to take time for me whenever I need it.”

Chastko had a good season offensively, but knows there were moments of “ups and downs” in the 53 games he played.

“We have a very good team with all of us contributing on offence, so when I am having my ups and downs, others step in and contribute,” he said.

“It’s not a worry for me because I am still able to get over those moments when I’m struggling on offence … and not playing my best hockey.”

Chastko had 30 goals and 55 points this past season, including seven power-play goals.

During his rookie season, he scored 20 goals, including eight with the man advantage, and finished with 43 points in 54 games.

He had one call-up game during the 2021-22 season, but registered no points, but gained an understanding of what to expect the following year after graduating from U18 hockey.

“When I showed up for my rookie year I knew what to expect, and I earned my ice time like most guys who are 17 and new to the league,” he recalled. “It was good transition for me when I left the Wheat Kings.

“I wasn’t expecting to put up the same numbers as I did the season before, but I had my own expectations and they were high. But as the season went on, the coaches could rely on me if we were up a goal, and there were two minutes left to play.

“I take pride in this because it’s important to have the trust from your coaches.”

Home ice has been anything but an advantage thus far in the MJHL post-season between the Virden Oil Capitals and Winkler Flyers.

It happened again Tuesday night in Winkler, with the Oil Capitals using two power-play goals from Joey Bielik and Josh Lehto to go up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series with a 4-1 triumph in Game 3.

Bryce Hunt and Brett Sabel, with an empty-net goal, contributed on offence in the victory, while Dalton Andrew answered for the Flyers.

“It’s a cliche to say home ice is a big thing. It would have gone either way in our 2-1 loss Sunday at home … we just did not capitalize on our chances,” said Chastko.

“We knew we needed to come out strong on the puck [Tuesday night] and be ready to go. The Flyers fill their arena with fans and they feed off that energy, so scoring that first goal was important.”

“Dad put me on skates and put me out on our backyard arena … I hated it. He purposely put me in the middle of the ice, and I didn’t move. I cried, and screamed … I was not a huge fan.”– Nolan Chastko

With the shots on goal 22-20 favouring the Flyers, Chastko said both teams played well in their own D-zones.

“We played a smart hockey game,” he said. “ We were not forcing the puck. For sure you want to get more shots on net and capitalize on them, but you also want to have good Grade A chances.”

The Oil Capitals also wanted to strike first and not come out slow thanks to having “bus legs” following the team’s three-hour ride to Winkler.

“It was important for our team to have that early jump, and not think about our loss at home [Sunday]. It’s important after a loss to look forward and stay in the present, and not worry about what happened before.”

Scoring most of his goals from the shot with his quick release and ability to read what his teammates are doing cycling the puck from the wall, Chastko is tenacious on the puck when he’s battling players a foot taller and 30 pounds heavier.

“I try to get in there and play the body, but don’t expect big hits from me,” he laughed. “I get in the way using my strength … I might be a smaller forward, but I work hard to get the puck.”

Looking back to the start of the season and training camp, Chastko was unsure what type of team the Oil Capitals would be because the coaches were still missing key players at Western Hockey League camps.

He said having guys like Grady Lane and Brad Lewis in the dressing room has been beneficial for the team and its first-place finish in the West Division.

“Those two guys are important to our team with the leadership they bring on and off the ice. They bring their high-level experiences to our room.”

Moreover, Chastko said his team’s depth should take the Oil Capitals far on this year’s playoff run. But right now he’s focused on sending the Flyers to the sidelines before thinking about the OCN Blizzard or the Steinbach Pistons.

“Our offence has come from all four of our lines this season, which is good when it comes to momentum swings in a game. It’s good to have everyone contributing on offence from all four lines, plus our three D pairings have been great in the D-zone.”

In the playoffs, Chastko currently has two goals and five points in nine games. Last season, when the Oil Capitals made it to the finals, he had 11 goals and 21 points in 18 games.

Not a superstitious player, Chastko does maintain a regular routine on game day. However, the one thing not changing since he arrived at Virden is his pre-game meal.

“I like my chicken, with white rice, and a little bit of soya sauce,” he said.

He washes this meal down with a simple smoothie featuring frozen fruits and a banana.

He has this meal at his billet home, which has been an awesome experience with his second family.

“Coming in as a 17-year-old, I did not know what to expect, so my billets have been welcoming just as the community has been. I know everyone on my street, and they say hello to me and ask me how we’ve done in a game.”

Once his junior hockey season is done, Chastko will return to his fourth summer working at Wheat City Golf Course, where he works as a groundskeeper and, when done work, hones his own golf game with his playing privileges.

Unfortunately, his love of baseball and strength as a hard-throwing pitcher will have to wait because his summer months are taken up with work, golf and training for the following MJHL season.

“Yeah, I miss it, but there’s no time to play with my busy summer,” he said.

Game 4 is tonight in Virden, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. Game 5 is back in Winkler on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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