WHL NOTEBOOK: Whittle can’t wait to skate at Westoba Place

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This article was published 25/10/2022 (1049 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dexter Whittle will soon be making his Western Hockey League debut at Westoba Place, and the 18-year-old, second-year defenceman can’t even pretend he’s not excited about it.

On Nov. 2, the Everett Silvertips will be making their first visit to Brandon since the Wheat Kings earned a 5-2 victory on Oct. 18, 2018. Whittle can’t help but imagine what it will be like to step on the ice for the first time.

“I’ve thought about it quite a bit,” said Whittle, whose family farms west of Virden. “I’ll definitely going to be looking in the stands lots for familiar faces. I have to make sure I play a good game.”

Whittle isn’t sure yet how many people are coming to the game in Brandon, but he knows it will be a lot. He last played at Westoba Place in minor hockey and has only competed there a couple of times, although he attended Wheat Kings summer camps when he was a youngster.

It’s hard to beat a little familiarity. Whittle said it was huge to return to Everett in August with a year of experience under his belt.

“It was a big difference for me,” Whittle said. “Just coming in with friends on the team and familiarity coming in, you have relationships with coaches, players, people in the whole organization, and you kind of know what to expect. You train for it all summer and come ready. There are no surprises really. That was a big part of it for me.”

The five-foot-nine, 179-pound right-handed shot played in 46 games as a rookie, contributing two goals, seven assists, 46 penalty minutes and a plus-minus of 22. Unfortunately for Whittle and the Silvertips, he sustained what proved to be a season-ending shoulder injury on April 16 in a 4-1 win over the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash.

Everett finished atop the Western Conference with a record of 45-13-5-5, but by the end of their six-game quarterfinal loss to the eighth-place Vancouver Giants, they had a parade of top players out of the lineup.

“It was really tough,” Whittle said. “I’m not going to blame it on injuries — there is no excuse for it — but I was injured for the last month and a half of the season so I have a different perspective on it. I was with the injured guys, and lots of our top guys were injured so I was rehabbing and skating with them every day.

“I wasn’t really able to be with the core team while they were going through playoffs so I had a different perspective. We fell short. Hopefully this year will be better.”

It certainly has been for Whittle.

One of the biggest changes for him on the ice last year was the speed that the game came at him. It can be overwhelming for rookies to deal with how quickly decisions have to be made in today’s super-charged game, but it seems to become more manageable each season for players with the hockey IQ to adapt.

“I’ve gotten a lot faster and stronger for sure,” Whittle said. “I’m used to the speed of the game now and I feel like I can speed the game up or slow it down, and kind of control the game more from the back end. ‘I’ve learned how to do that more, and I’ve definitely been more physical this year than last year.”

It’s also a common refrain from players that they’re terrified to make mistakes in their rookie season, because the leash is a lot shorter than it might be for veteran players. Whittle said he’s now at the stage where he can take a chance to make a play without fearing the repercussions, which he calls a game changer.

That, combined with his increased comfort level in Everett, have had an impact on him.

“It’s big,” Whittle said. “Just being comfortable in every-day life and knowing everyone definitely affects your play on the ice. You’re more comfortable to make plays and relaxed more. Going into practice every day you’re not tensed up, you can play your game more. You stay on an even keel and don’t get down on yourself as often.”

In seven games this season, Whittle has three assists, 18 penalty minutes and sports a plus-minus of 3.

Unfortunately, he drew a three-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct he took against the Kelowna Rockets on Oct. 14.

He served the last game on Friday when the Silvertips met the Tri-City Americans, and will be eligible to return to the lineup when Everett kicks off the trip on Friday against the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Whittle, who was drafted in the seventh round, 152nd overall in 2019 by the Silvertips, has played the most with Kamloops product Aidan Sutter, an overage defenceman who was also his partner for much of last season.

He said the pair is comfortable together and there’s lots of familiarity between them. That’s good, because the expectations for Whittle are growing.

“I’ve definitely noticed a bit of a role change,” Whittle said. “I’m relied on more defensively, increased minutes on the ice, lots of PK time, I’m being vocal on the bench and helping the young guys out, I’m being heavy in corners and hard to play against, physical and defensive is my role this year. It’s similar to my role last year but I’m being relied on more heavily I would say.”

Whittle lost last year’s defensive coach, Louis Mass, but he was replaced by personable former Regina Pats head coach Dave Struch.

Another new face in the Everett dressing room is former Wheat Kings defenceman Jacob Hoffrogge, who was traded west on July 14 for a seventh-round pick in 2024. It’s actually the second year in a row the Silvertips have brought in a Wheat King, with Jonny Lambos finishing up his career there last season.

Whittle said Hoffrogge is settling in nicely with his new team.

“He’s a really skilled guy,” Whittle said. “He brings lots of skill, a great skater, lots of creativity, he’s a good guy too. I like talking to him, he’s good in the locker room, relaxed, always has a smile on his face. He doesn’t get too mad, doesn’t get too down, he’s a good guy to be around.”

It will also be a homecoming of sorts for Hoffrogge, who will be making his first trip back to Brandon. Whittle said the trip, which will see the Silvertips play all six East Division opponents in just nine days without any games en route or on the way back, will be good for his club.

“I think it’s going to be a big team builder too,” Whittle said. “Early in the season, the team will be on the road with each other for about two weeks. We’ve made quite a few roster moves already, something we weren’t used to last year, so we’re going to spend lots of time with each other. It will be a big character build for us and a big team builder and will make us closer.

“Hopefully we can find our game and come out with a couple of wins.”

On a more personal note, Whittle can’t wait to jump on the bus for the long trip and to visit some arenas he’s never stepped foot in before.

“I love that part of the game,” Whittle said. “When we’re travelling, I’m always taking pictures on the bus. Guys always make jokes about it. I love travelling, I love all the rinks, just seeing different setups and designs. I love that part of it.”

While Everett’s talent drain after last season included top performers such as Alex Swetlikoff, Michal Gut and Ronan Seeley, Whittle said the Silvertips still have plenty of high-end talent. He said they remain very similar to last year in the way they’re built and how they play.

Everett (7-3-0-0) currently sits third in the U.S. Division behind the Seattle Thunderbirds (8-0-0-0) and the Portland Winterhawks (7-1-0-0). The Silvertips have emerged as one of the league’s most consistent franchises, winning four Western Conference titles since the 2016-17 season and never finishing lower than second.

It’s a mantle of success the players wear proudly.

“We have to win, and we have to win a lot,” Whittle said. “This division is really good, really deep and anyone can win on any given night. We have to bring it every night. We have to contend with those top teams like Seattle and Portland. Those are going to be big games but I’m excited for them.”

ICINGS: Vancouver Giants defenceman Mazden Leslie of Lloydminster, Alta., has been named the WHL’s player of the week. The 17-year-old Leslie, who is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft, had a goal and five assists in four games with the Giants last week. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Saskatoon Blades netminder Ethan Chadwick was named goaltender of the week after winning both his starts with his hometown team while posting a 1.50 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. Both he and fellow Blades goalie Austin Elliott have won the award this season … Vancouver Giants forward Colton Langkow was given a one-game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct for an incident against the Prince George Cougars on Friday.