Future Rebels defencemen developing nicely with U18 teams
Luke Vlooswyk and Tate Dolinsky were victims of a numbers game last fall.
The 16-year-old defencemen were two of the Red Deer Rebels’ final cuts and were reassigned, with both joining U18 teams.
In another year, both would likely have gained regular employment with the WHL club, but the Rebels were already deep and experienced at the position.
But come next September, the towering pair will almost certainly be on the opening night roster, with their development taking another huge step this season.
“With our situation, we wanted Luke playing big minutes and touching the puck a lot, so we made the decision to send him back to U18,” said Rebels associate general manager Shaun Sutter of the club’s first round pick, 17th overall, in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
So far, so good.
Vlooswyk, from Calgary, is excelling with the Edge School U18 Prep team with one goal and nine points in 21 games. He’s also racked up 34 minutes in penalties and is on the team’s power play.
“I think his game has really flourished. He needed maybe a couple of extra months to polish up his game and get in tune with his body,” said Sutter. “His skill set has really improved. I think it’s been a real good move for his long term development.
“I think everyone is going to see why we took Luke Vlooswyk in the first round because he’s a big, strong mobile guy who can skate and move the puck. He defends well and is hard to play against. He’s going to be a really key part of our team going forward.”
Vlooswyk (pictured above) stands six-foot-four. Dolinsky (pictured below) is six-foot-two.
“Big defencemen are hard to find,” said Sutter, who also likes the manner in which Dolinsky has developed at the Rink Hockey Academy in his hometown of Winnipeg.
Dolinsky, taken in the fourth round, 69th overall, in 2022 has recorded 14 points, including six goals in 17 games with the RHA U18 Prep squad.
“Tate’s offensive game has kind of taken off. The statistics are there and he’s moving well and defending,” said Sutter.
“Luke and Tate are guys who some teams in our league would have kept as 16-year-old defencemen. We felt like big picture, long-term, that they were better off to go back and play a lot instead of being here as seventh and eighth defencemen.
“We’ll have them ready to go next season. We need these guys to be good players for us starting next year when they’re 17.”
Both have signed a standard players agreement with the Rebels, as have two others drafted in 2002 — goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk and forward Steven Steranka.
Tabashniuk, who was recently with the Rebels while Rhett Stoesser out with an injury, has the second best goals-against average — 2.18 in the Saskatchewan U18 AAA league and has posted a 15-3-0 record with the second place Regina Pat Canadians.
“He’s the No. 1 goalie on a good team,” said Sutter.
Tabashniuk, who currently sports an impressive .912 save percentage, also played 25 games with the U18 Pat Canadians in the 2022-23 season as a 15-year-old, posting a 16-2-0-3 record with a 1.95 GAA and .909 save percentage.
“That’s why we drafted him last year — he was playing a lot in U18 and producing,” said Sutter of the club’s sixth-round pick, 127th overall. “He’s a bigger, stronger kid and everything is going according to plan with Taylor. He’s doing well.”
Steranka was selected in the seventh round, 148th overall, and looks like found money.
A teammate of fellow Regina native Tabashniuk, Steranka also played with the Pat Canadians as a 15-year-old and this season has posted big numbers with 28 goals, tops in the league. He sits second overall in scoring with 48 points in 33 games.
“Right now, for a seventh-round pick scoring at the rate he is and leading the league in goals . . . as of right now that looks like a home run,” said Sutter. “I think he’s going to be a real good player in our league and put up some numbers.
“If you produce at that rate at 15 and 16 in Saskatchewan under-18, that usually leads to you producing like that as you get at the older end of the cycle in the WHL. It means you’re going to be producing there too.”
The following is a list of the other players drafted in 2002, with position, draft status, team, 2023-24 statistics and comments from Shaun Sutter (all players are 17 years of age this year):
Carter Cole, forward; fourth round, 83rd overall; Prince Albert U18AAA Mintos; 30GP-2G-17A-19 Pts.
“He’s had some injuries in the past and has had to dedicate himself to training full-time. He’s done track and done work on the farm. Even though he’s a 16-year-old there’s still a lot of physical development to come. He did a good job of training last summer and will need another big summer to take another big step.”
Reece Gault, defence; fifth round, 105th overall; Rink HA Winnipeg; 17-2-14-16.
“Reece is really talented, really cerebral. He’s very good on the power play and a very good puck moving defenceman. He’s what some people call the modern defenceman now in terms of his transporting and puck moving. He’s got the talent, the ability, to play at our level, he just needs to keep getting stronger. He’s a guy who can run a power play and put up some points in the Western Hockey League.”
Matthew Kondro, goaltender; eighth round, 171st overall; St. Albert U18AAA Raiders; 10GP, 7-2-0 record, 4.06 GAA, .875 save percentage.
“He’s having a real good year. He was injured early in the season but he’s back now and playing well. He has a really late birthday, he’s almost an ’08 (born player). He’s got the ability to be really good, he just needs some help in growing and getting stronger and that’s happening now.”
Cole Connolly, forward; ninth round, 186th overall; Titans Hockey Union, Edmonton; 1-0-0-0.
“Cole had hip surgery and has been out nearly the whole season. He was a top prospect coming into camp and we thought he might even push to make our team as a 16-year-old. He’s a determined kid so I can see him, despite missing the season, having kind of a storybook comeback.”
Jovan Sandhu, forward; ninth round, 193rd overall; Delta HA; 20-6-5-11.
“He’s a good all around player who’s developing a physical side, utilizing his size and strength.”
The Rebels also selected forward Jeremiah Roberts and defenceman Quinten Flores in the 2022 US Priority Draft. Roberts is with the Rebels, as is forward Matthew Gard, the team’s second-round pick in the 2022 Prospects Draft.
Red Deer has listed Cohen Poulin, an ’07-born player who has scored 15 goals and accumulated 28 points in 26 games with U18 Fraser Valley this season. The club has also listed ’07-born defenceman CJ Watson, who has 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in 20 games with Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy’s U18 prep team.
