WHL NOTEBOOK: Chastko finally earns WHL opportunity

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This article was published 08/10/2024 (545 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nolan Chastko’s path to the Western Hockey League is about as unusual as they get, and that makes it just a little more special.

The 19-year-old Brandonite is in his rookie season with the Everett Silvertips, and will face the Wheat Kings — the team he grew up cheering for — at Westoba Place tonight at 7 p.m.

“It’s pretty uncommon,” Chastko said with a chuckle after the team pulled into his hometown on Sunday evening. “It’s definitely not the usual route, that’s for sure.”

Chastko wasn’t selected in the 2020 WHL draft — the one that was headlined by Connor Bedard — despite putting up 33 goals and 27 assists in 36 games, and three more points in three games with the U17 Wheat Kings.

After the 2020-21 was essentially washed out due to the pandemic, Chastko had a sensational 2021-22 season at age 16 with the under-18 AAA Wheat Kings, scoring 53 goals and adding 28 assists in just 43 games.

He’s eclipsed Mark Derlago’s single-season team record of 48 that was set in 2002-03, and became the league’s first 50-goal scorer since Michael St. Croix lit the lamp 56 times for the Winnipeg Wild in 2008-09.

He attended the 2021 training camp as a free agent with the Prince George Cougars, and they immediately listed him. As he enjoyed his terrific year, they offered him a standard players agreement and the undrafted teenager signed in February of 2022.

Chastko may have had other options in baseball, because he was also a Team Manitoba pitcher who as a youngster once threw a perfect game by striking out all 18 hitters he faced.

“I had the opportunity, and in that moment thought that was best for me,” Chastko said. “I went out for camp (in September of 2022) and it just turned out I wasn’t the right guy and it wasn’t the right fit. I went to Virden from there.”

He spent his 17- and 18-year-old seasons with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals, posting 43 points in 54 games the first season and 55 points in 53 games as an 18-year-old.

He said the organization and its head coach, Tyson Ramsey, did a lot to help him grow.

“Obviously going there as a 17-year-old the first time playing junior, even though it was just 45 minutes down the road, it was still away from home,” said Chastko, who billeted in the community. “They definitely made the transition into junior a lot easier and definitely helped with my development.”

Still, the step from Tier 2 to major junior can be a big one. Chastko has certainly noticed how the game is different.

“Strength is a big thing but there are teams in the MJ with some big farm kids who are pretty tough when it comes to that,” Chastko said. “The speed is not a whole lot quicker but it’s definitely faster, and guys are making the right plays at a higher level. Everything overall is just a little bit quicker but the MJ definitely made that transition a little easier.”

Another difference is that players are on the same page and more likely to be where they’re supposed to be.

Since he was no longer in Prince George’s plans, the Cougars dealt him to the Silvertips on Jan. 9, 2023 for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.

He knew going into camp last month it would be his last chance to land a spot, and admitted there were moments in the previous years when he questioned if it could ever happen.

“There were definitely times if I was wondering if it was still possible to play in the league,” Chastko said. “It was definitely a dream from a very young age growing up in Brandon and the Wheat Kings being a super big thing with the kids in the community.

“I had a lot of support from people around me and my family was extremely supportive when it came to it. I’m obviously extremely happy with the way it’s played out so far.”

As it turned out, they were correct to support him. Last month, he received the good news he was staying from another Brandonite, Silvertips general manager Mike Fraser.

“You don’t see it every day in our league but Nolan was excited to check things out,” Fraser said. “We made a trade for him a year and a half ago to add to that age group and we had to wait a little bit to see him. He came to camp and played really well and got better as training camp went on.

“The one thing with him is he’s a very versatile player. You can play him in lots of situations. He’s smart, he knows where he needs to be on the ice and he’s starting to adjust to the league and the pace really well. We’re real happy with how he’s progressed so far.”

Beyond the GM, Chastko has the benefit of playing with another Brandonite, 17-year-old rookie defenceman Kaeson Fisher.

“It definitely helps out a lot, because being a new guy to the organization and not really knowing anyone, it made it a little better that way having another guy from Brandon,” Chastko said. “I didn’t know him a whole bunch but I knew him and had skated with him in the summers.”

While his last team was 45 minutes from home, Chastko now finds himself nearly 2,100 kilometres away from Brandon and across an international border. Everett is located just north of Seattle along busy Highway 5, and a couple hours south of Vancouver.

“It’s been really good,” Chastko said. “The guys accepted me right away and it felt like family right away. It’s been really good. I’m really enjoying my time out there.”

His billets have had players living with them for the last six years, essentially since they discovered the game.

He lives about 20 minutes from Angel of the Winds Arena, or with bad traffic, about 45 minutes. The players are spread out, although there are enclaves where team members are close to each other.

With the move, Chastko is getting a taste of American fans, who may not always be as grounded in the game as their Canadian counterparts, but make up for it with their sheer level of enthusiasm.

“The home opener in Everett was a different experience for sure,” Chastko said. “Especially when there’s 7,000 of them and it feels like every single one has a kettle bell and are just screaming the entire game. It gets very electric in those games.”

He has a treat ahead of him, because he hasn’t yet visited the Showare Center in nearby Kent, the home of the Seattle Thunderbirds and their notoriously rowdy fans.

“That will be a good experience for sure with that rivalry,” Chastko said with a chuckle.

That’s one of the beauties of his rookie season. It gives him a chance to explore a lot of arenas he’s never set foot in before, which he said is neat every time.

“Every team in the league has a pretty sweet rink,” Chastko said. “It’s definitely really cool to be able to sit back and look around and experience it and take it all in.”

Of course the highlight is playing in a building he knows intimately.

Chastko can’t wait.

“I’m super excited just thinking about it and probably won’t get much sleep,” Chastko said of tonight’s game. “Growing up and being a season-ticket holder and going to every game, and when the Memorial Cup was here, all those memories come into play. It will definitely be extremely special.”

He will face a good number of people attending the game. Chastko has a sense of what it feel like to skate onto the ice the first time.

“I think it will be super special just looking around and being on the ice and not in the seats,” Chastko said. “It’s going to be really cool.”

In five games in his rookie campaign, Chastko has a goal, no penalty minutes and a plus-minus of -2.

Chastko’s first WHL goal came in his second career game, 19 minutes and one second into the third period of an 8-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks on Sept. 28.

While he jokes it definitely wasn’t the prettiest play, he was happy to get the monkey off his back.

“I got a pass in the slot in the rush and had a guy on me and took a shot,” Chastko said. “That was saved and the rebound kicked out and it was the puck along the goal line and I stuffed it in. I’m not sure how it went in but it went in.”

He should have two goals already but Prince Albert Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand performed a bit of larceny on him on Friday that should have the netminder in jail. Hildebrand reached behind him with the paddle of his stick to knock Chastko’s backhanded shot off a rebound out of the air to make a simply miraculous save.

“I saw that on Instagram the next day, that’s for sure,” Chastko said.

In a way, it figures.

Chastko is one of those kid who was never given anything. Instead, he’s gone out and earned it all, and finds himself living his childhood dream. Somehow, his unusual path makes it all a little bit more special.

“Going back to bantam and not being a draft pick and then being listed and getting cut at 17 and then finally being here at 19 is definitely going to make it a lot better, that’s for sure,” Chastko said.

THIS AND THAT

• QUIZ — Can you name the six current WHL teams the Wheat Kings have never met in a playoff series?

• WEEKLY AWARDS — Spokane Chiefs forward Shea Van Olm has been named player of the week after leading the league with seven points on four goals and three assists. The 19-year-old forward from Calgary is second in the WHL for goals with seven, behind only Brandon’s Roger McQueen.

Victoria Royals netminder Spencer Michnik has been goaltender of the week after the 18-year-old from Sylvan Lake, Alta., turned aside 22 shots for his first career WHL shutout

Saskatoon Blades forward Cooper Williams, 16, has been named rookie of the week after he had three goals and an assist last week. The Calgary youngster has a point in every Blades game this season and leads all WHL rookies in points with nine.

• TRADE RECAP — On Saturday, the Lethbridge Hurricanes sent overage goalie Harrison Meneghin of Surrey, B.C., to the Medicine Hat Tigers for 19-year-old forward Shane Smith of Cessford, Alta. In another deal, the Tigers sent overage forward Brayden Boehm to the Victoria Royals for a third-round pick in 2026 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2027. Since the season started on Sept. 20, there have been a dozen deals.

• HOMECOMING — The Los Angeles Kings reassigned overage forward Koehn Ziemmer to the team on Monday. A product of Mayerthorpe, Alta., Ziemmer missed much of last season but still had 31 points in 21 games.

• SIN BIN — The WHL has still only suspended one player in the pre-season and first three weeks of the regular season, which is verging on the miraculous. Regina Pats defenceman Corbin Vaughan earned the three-game ban for a check-to-the-head major on Sept. 27 and is back in action.

• ALUMNI GLANCE — Stelio Mattheos, 25, now plays for Bofors IK in Karlskoga, Sweden, where he has three goals and two assists in six games. It’s the second season for the former Carolina Hurricanes draft pick in Sweden: Last season he had 14 goals and seven assists in 41 games for Sodertalje SK. The Winnipegger played with the Wheat Kings for four seasons from 2015 to 2019, putting up 278 points in 253 regular games, and 25 points in 45 playoff games. He was part of Brandon’s shutdown third line in the 2016 playoffs with Tanner Kaspick and Duncan Campbell as they won the league.

• BIRTHDAY BOYS — Past and present Wheat Kings with birthdays in the last week include Daniel Bartek (Oct. 2, 1988), Riley Day (Oct. 8, 1985), Brian Granfield (Oct. 8, 1956), Luke Harrison (Oct. 7, 1995), Bob Heeney (Oct. 5, 1966), Jonny Hooker (Oct. 3, 2001), Greg Hutchings (Oct. 7, 1970), Jiri Jakes (Oct. 4, 1992), Roger McQueen (Oct. 2, 2006), Dmitry Osipov (Oct. 4, 1996), Ryan Pulock (Oct. 6, 1994) and Eldon (Pokey) Reddick (Oct. 6, 1964).

• THE WEEK AHEAD — After tonight’s game, Brandon heads out on the road for an Alberta trip with visits in Medicine Hat to meet the Tigers on Friday and in Lethbridge to meet the Hurricanes on Saturday.

• ANSWER — Brandon has met every team in the Eastern Conference in the post-season at least once. That means the teams they haven’t played are in the Western Conference, and they can only play them in the league final. In Brandon’s seven trips to the final, they have met the Portland Winterhawks (1979, 1998), Seattle Thunderbirds (2016), Spokane Chiefs (1996), Kamloops Blazers (1995) and Kelowna Rockets (2005, 2015).

That means the answer is the Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, Victoria Royals, Wenatchee Wild, Tri-City Americans and Everett Silvertips.