Chan family enjoys draft moment

You have to give credit to Joffrey Chan’s father: He can apparently see into the future.

The six-foot-one, 166-pound goalie, who grew up in Calgary but recently moved to Vancouver, was at home with his parents Ronald and Cynthia watching the Western Hockey League draft last Thursday on a live stream broadcast from YouTube on their TV.

When Brandon sent overage Czech forward Dominik Petr and a ninth-round pick to the Saskatoon Blades for their fourth-round pick, 83rd overall, Ronald knew what was coming next.

“Right before the trade happened, my mom went to go get some food,” Chan said. “My dad saw that Brandon traded up to get the pick, and my dad yelled at my mom to come back. We weren’t sure but we were really hopeful this would be when I got drafted and it was. It was very exciting.”

His mother had some sparklers she set off, with Chan noting it was a fun experience.

“Once my name was called, it was more at first just shock that I got drafted,” Chan said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I didn’t know how to react. I was kind of shocked at first and then I was really excited.”

Chan was born and raised in Calgary but his family, which also includes younger sister Nikki, moved to Vancouver two years ago.

He began skating at age six and was a forward for the first couple of years of his career. He didn’t become a full-time goalie until he was eight or nine, adding the appeal was simple.

“It’s the thrill of being able to steal a game for your team,” Chan said. “Being that difference maker and the last line of defence. I can save my teammates from a mistake or bail them out. That’s why I want to be a goalie.”

It’s an expensive position, in part because of the equipment, but also due to a cottage industry now tailored to young goalies hoping to get better. Chan understands the sacrifices his parents made to get him into the position he is now.

“When we were still in Calgary, my dad would sign me up for these camps that started at 6 o’clock in the morning before school,” Chan said. “He drove me two days every single week and always supported me, driving me around and watching my games.

“Even now, I notice my parents are always at the games and practices, a lot more than any other parent. He’ll wake up at 5 in the morning and watch my morning practices, and I don’t see anyone else there. I really appreciate him for that.

“Also, my mom took me to basically every single road trip and she is there to support me, congratulate me or console me if I don’t play my best.”

Chan also played baseball at a high level — he pitched or played first base or left field — once attending the Cal Ripken World Series of Baseball. But he quit the sport a year ago to focus on hockey, although he sees the benefits of the second sport.

“That definitely helped me,” Chan said. “When I was younger, I was always catching balls and playing baseball.”

Chan used to go Hitmen games when he was in Calgary and has a shirt he got when they were throwing them into the crowd. But it took him a while to learn about the league and the possibilities it presented, even as his goals began to take shape.

“It was always my dream, and it still is now, to play in the NHL one day,” Chan said. “When I was really young, I didn’t really think about WHL as much.”

But he certainly has a link.

Chan’s uncle is former Saskatoon Blades star Trevor Wong, who absolutely terrorized the Wheat Kings for three seasons after coming to Saskatchewan in a deal for forward Colton Dach in 2021.

The young goalie was well aware he was being watched by WHL scouts this season but dealt with it the same way he deals with other potential distractions.

“I try not to look at the stands or feel the pressure,” Chan said. “I prepare for every game the exact same. For my varsity year when there weren’t any scouts and my prep year when there were scouts, I treated every game the same preparation-wise. During the game, I just want to do everything I could to help my team win and keep my team in games.”

In 17 appearances with the St. George’s under-15 prep team on a team coached by former NHLer Todd Harkins, Chan posed a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with a 13-4-0 record.

“I was pretty happy with my season,” Chan said. “I had a really, really good first half and slowed down a little bit in the second half. Overall, I had a good season.”

He has played against Brandon’s NAX duo of Cruz Jim and Ahmad Fayad, but doesn’t know them personally, and isn’t familiar with anyone else in the draft class.

Brandon Wheat Kings director of hockey operations Chris Moulton likes what Chan is and loves what he could become.

“He’s a very good goaltender with lots more to come,” Moulton said. “He’s a good goaltender now but there’s a larger ceiling for him. He played in a good program in St. George’s. He’s tall and he’s lean so he has lots of growth left. I just think right now he’s a guy who has a ton of upside.”

Chan has a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses, and is actively pushing to get better.

“I think my biggest strength is my explosiveness side to side and my size,” Chan said. “Also my athleticism. I can still get back to places and push well.”

“My to-do list is definitely my skating agility, just improving on my skating, and also my hockey IQ and knowing which hand shooters are and taking more scans and knowing where everybody on the ice is and where all the threats are,” Chan added. “And playing the puck.”

The first goalie was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, when the Moose Jaw Warriors selected Dylan Mingo of Peachland, B.C., That led to a run of eight netminders in the next 40 picks and Brandon’s trade to grab Chan.

And soon it will lead him to Westoba Place, where his uncle had so much success in another jersey.

“I’m very excited,” Chan said. “I’ve never been in a WHL facility before so I’m really looking forward to training camp and going there and meeting everyone and just taking in everything.”

» The Brandon Sun is profiling every member of Brandon’s draft class of 2025. See Thursday’s Sun to read about Warman defenceman Logan Olsen.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com