WHL NOTEBOOK: Perfect timing key in Malbasa’s debut

Sometimes the universe just seems to put a person in the right spot at exactly the right time.

Exhibit A might just be 15-year-old Marko Malbasa, the Brandon Wheat Kings prospect who just spent 10 days with the team.

His under-18 prep team, Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg, was travelling by bus to Edmonton on Oct. 29 to meet OHA Edmonton and Northern Alberta Extreme when the teenager’s phone dinged with a text from Brandon’s director of hockey operations, Chris Moulton.

“We were on our way to Edmonton and as we were driving through Brandon, Chris Moulton texted me ‘Have you left for Edmonton yet?’ I was like ‘We’re driving through Brandon right now,’” Malbasa said. “I didn’t have service for a bit and my dad called me and was like ‘Go talk to coach and get dropped off somewhere.’ “They dropped me off at a gas station and I waited for (head coach and general manager) Marty (Murray) to come pick me up.”

“It was perfect timing,” he added.

The call-up came because Brandon simply wasn’t having much luck with its eight blue-liners. Ilari Kapanen was already out of the lineup and Cruz Jim was away at the World U17 Hockey Challenge when veteran Josh McGregor was injured in a road game against the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

That left them with just five defencemen, and made Malbasa the natural solution the next day.

“We were high on him in the draft,” Murray said of the left-shooting defender, who they took in the second round, 42nd overall. “Our group thought he was going to be a first-round pick so we were really happy to get him in the draft.

“He’s a guy who is going to be a pretty good two-way defenceman. He plays with some snarl, he was some skill and he’s an all-round defender. At 15 years old, we’re quite happy with where he’s at and we’re looking forward to him being a Wheat King for a few years to come.”

While it was a big step for the youngster, at least it wasn’t a complete jump into the unknown.

Malbasa attended training camp and then stayed with the team through part of the pre-season, so he had a chance to get the lay of the land and play in a game.

“Definitely staying for pre-season helped me a lot, just getting to know the guys a little more,” said Malbasa, who is from north of Winnipeg in St. Andrews. “They were definitely very welcoming for when I joined them for the last week. They were guiding me through it.”

A pair of Americans looked after him off the ice, with forward Colin Grubb driving him around, including to school, and forward Gunnar Gleasman, who lived nearby, spending extra time with him.

The five-foot-11, 163-pound rearguard played the most with rookie Ethan Young, but said all the defencemen took him under their wing.

“It’s hard to play as a 15 year old,” Malbasa said. “You’re not playing a regular shift, you’re getting on there and there. They were encouraging me to stay in it and stay ready.”

Some former National Hockey League players say the easiest league to play in is the NHL, because everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there. Malbasa made a similar observation about the WHL.

“It’s definitely way faster,” Malbasa said. “That was probably the biggest adjustment for me. People don’t believe me when I say this, but it was almost easier to play because it’s more structured. I don’t have every single guy on the other team trying to take my head off. They’ll rub you out. If you play simple, your game will come.”

At the same time, Malbasa was impressed by the forwards he played against during his four games, which were a 3-2 overtime win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a 7-2 loss to the Swift Current Broncos, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Regina Pats and a 3-2 overtime victory over the Saskatoon Blades.

“I think every single one of them has a wicked shot on them,” Malbasa said of the forwards. “They’re really hard to defend. They’re shifty and they have so much speed. They’re so much bigger and stronger, it’s just hard to play against them.”

Still, Malbasa was happy with how he performed. He had four shots on net and looked increasingly comfortable as the call-up progressed.

“I was really happy,” Malbasa said. “I played a lot more than I expected and I definitely thought I played well. It was nice to see all the guys and get to know them a little more.”

One of the other big adjustments came off the ice. The Wheat Kings come to the rink early before games and have their individual ways of preparing for the game aead. That was a massive eye opener for Malbasa.

“I thought it was crazy how they get to games three hours early,” Malbasa said. “I was just trying to figure out what my routine is going to be like if I’m getting games that early. I was following them to see what they do.”

With the new experiences under his belt, Malbasa is ready to get back to his prep team and show them what he’s learned. And he’s even eager to join the Wheat Kings full time in the future.

“I’m very excited,” Malbasa said. “That’s all that’s been on my mind and I’ll work towards that goal.”

THIS AND THAT

• QUIZ — In Brandon’s 2015-16 championship season, a dozen defenceman skated for them during the regular season. By the playoffs, that number was down to eight. How many of them can you name?

• WEEKLY AWARDS — The player of the week is 18-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward Liam Ruck of Osoyoos, B.C., after the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect had three goals and eight assists in three games.

The goaltender of the week is 18-year-old Calgary Hitmen netminder Eric Tu of White Rock, B.C., who won both his appearances with a 0.50 goals-against average, a .981 save percentage and one shutout.

The rookie of the week is 18-year-old Red Deer Rebels forward Jake Banicevic of Vancouver, who had two goals and two assists in three games.

• TRADE FRONT — On Oct. 31, the Prince George Cougars acquired 19-year-old defenceman Jace McFaul of Edmonton from the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round pick in 2028 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2030.

• SIN BIN — The good folks at the league office have had a busy start to the month of November, handing out four one-game suspensions involving majors and game misconducts. Kamloops Blazers defenceman Madden Tymchak of Oakbank (boarding at Edmonton on Oct. 31), Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Reko Alanko (cross-checking at Saskatoon on Oct. 31), Regina Pats forward Cohen Klassen (checking to the head vs. Lethbridge on Nov. 1) and Spokane Chiefs defenceman Rhett Sather (goaltender interference at Kelowna on Nov. 4) will all sit a game.

Three more suspensions were posted on Sunday.

Wheat Kings forward Prabh Bhathal will miss two games for a hit against the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday that earned him a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct.

Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Ethan Creran is awaiting the length of his suspension after taking a fighting major and game misconduct against Medicine Hat on Saturday, and overage Tri-City forward Grady Martin will sit for four games for a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct he took against the Victoria Royals on Saturday.

• ALUMNI GLANCE — Braylon Shmyr, 29, is in Sweden for a third season.He has played one game with Brunflo IK in Sweden’s Division 2, the third tier of ice hockey in the country, and three games with Frösö IK in Division 3, where he has an incredible nine goals and eight assists.

The Wheat Kings drafted him 12th overall in 2012, and after 128 games with the team over four seasons — including a callup as a 15 year old — but he was part of the blockbuster deal with the Saskatoon Blades at the 2016 trade deadline. In his five-year WHL career, Shmyr had 111 goals and 129 assists in 300 regular season games, with six more points in 18 playoff games.

• THE WEEK AHEAD — The Wheat Kings host the Portland Winterhawks in the annual Remembrance Day game on Wednesday at 4 p.m., and the Wenatchee Wild on Friday at 7 p.m., and then travel to the Art Hauser Centre to meet the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT).

• ANSWER — The eight defencemen who suited up for Brandon in both the regular season and playoffs during the 2015-16 season were Ivan Provorov, Kale Clague, Macoy Erkamps, Mitch Wheaton, James Shearer, Jordan Thomson, Mark Matsuba and Schael Higson.

The other four who suited up during the regular season were Colton Waltz, Dominic Thom, Mark Taraschuk and 15-year-old call-up Garrett Sambrook. Interestingly, Thom, Taraschuk and Sambrook all wore No. 3.