Mecas settling into life with Blues

The Winnipeg Blues know what they are. A young team in the midst of a rebuild, unlikely to challenge for a championship this year.

Barring a few 20-year-olds, the team is inexperienced.

One player who is finding success in a new home, however, is 20-year-old forward Xander Mecas, a Waywayseecappo product who his hometown Wolverines traded to the Blues at the start of the season.

“(Wayway head coach and general manager) Landyn (Cochrane) contacted us and said they had a 20-year-old they were looking to move,” said first-year head coach Aaron Kaatz. “Once we acquired him and were able to get him into a few games, he was doing all the right things, and we said perfect it’s a great fit to have him in our program.”

“We knew coming into this that it was going to be a full-on rebuild,” Kaatz added. “(We are) taking it back to the studs and giving guys the opportunity to play and get that experience … Every game we go into in this first I’d say, 10-15 games, is just to learn and experiment a little bit and get that experience under our belt.”

Before the trade, Mecas spent his whole career playing hockey around his hometown. He started at age seven, after his sister tried the sport and his parents decided to send him out as well.

“My mom was the one who got me into hockey. My dad was always on the road working,” said Mecas with a slight smile.

Most players that reach the Junior A level start hockey much earlier than seven years old. Making it to that level after a late start is an achievement in itself.

While he may have started later than most, he had the same experience stepping on the ice that many kids do.

“I loved it right away,” said Mecas. “Just buzzing through the cold feels good. Being kind of a northern boy, I love the cold.”

Having spent 13 years playing in his hometown, he had to adjust to playing in Winnipeg, but he feels it is beneficial.

“There was a little getting used to it, but I feel settled in,” said Mecas. “Definitely feels nice to be part of a different team, new systems and all that. It’s a better opportunity for myself I feel.”

While he’s much farther from home, his family still finds ways to make it out to his games and cheer him on. When he gets to play in western Manitoba, that’s doubly true.

The six-foot-three forward plays a smart and physical game.

“I like to think of myself as a physical guy,” said Mecas. “I work hard, get in on the forecheck, get contact, and I like to play the system and really try to buy into the coaches, whoever my coaches are.”

Kaatz says that Mecas is really finding his way in a defensive role.

“He’s really excelling in a PK role for us right now, and we’ve been trying him out on a shutdown center role and a little bit on the wing,” said Kaatz. “He’s really smart in his decisions. He’s providing a lot of energy for us because he’s making good plays … he’s doing everything you’d expect a 20-year-old to do.”

When he’s not at the rink, Mecas can be found working out, playing video games with his teammates and working as a roofer. Balancing work and hockey is difficult, but his boss gets it.

“It’s been pretty good,” said Mecas. “My boss is very understanding when it comes to my strict hockey schedule and really makes a flexible schedule for me.”

While he’s settling into a new role, the team is struggling. After winning their first two games of the season, the Blues have since gone on a seven-game losing streak that dates back to Sept. 27.

In general, the Blues are struggling to score, averaging just 1.7 goals for per game while giving up 5.5 goals against per game. One of the immediate goals is to stop the slide.

“(Definitely) to get out of this slump,” said Mecas when describing his goals. “We see lots of glimpses of what we could be.”

The Blues are currently in the middle of a four-game home stand. This weekend, they will host the Winkler Flyers on Oct. 24 before Mecas faces his former team on Oct. 25.

These won’t be easy games for Winnipeg, and the losing streak could easily extend for a couple more games.

For Kaatz, the most important thing is that the team keeps working hard with the understanding that they are playing the long game. As one of the veterans, Mecas will need to set the tone for the younger and less experienced players.

“Our boys are grinding out here; they are learning, they are competing and they are also having fun,” said Kaatz. “Even though we are seeing inflated scored on the other side of it, the guys are still competing hard and cheering for one another.”

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com