Wutzke running Wild with excitement after first NHL camp
By DANNY RODE
On paper the Red Deer Rebels have one of the top goaltending groups in the WHL.
It got even stronger this week with the return of Chase Wutzke from the Minnesota Wild NHL camp.
Wutzke, a fifth-round draft pick of the Wild this year, joins veteran Rhett Stoesser and rookie Peyton Shore in the battle for ice time with the Rebels.
But the 18-year-old native of Debden, SK., wasn’t thinking of that when he joined his Rebels teammates for off-ice workouts Tuesday.
He was still enjoying the thrill of his time with the Wild.
“It was awesome, a great experience just being down there and being with the guys, getting to see around the facility and stuff … pretty amazing to make the main camp and skate with the guys.”
Chase got an opportunity to skate with and talk to NHL goaltending great Marc-Andre Fleury.
“He was a great guy. It was cool to skate with him and just being about to talk with him and see what it’s like to be in the league for such a long time. To be around him day-to-day and seeing what he does was a cool experience.”
Wutzke did attend a spring camp with the Wild shortly after being drafted, which he said made it easier to return this month.
“Being down there and returning for a second time I knew most of the guys and what to expect which was cool,” he said.
“I wasn’t intimidated. I just went out there, see the puck and do the best I could. There were definitely some big names there like (Kirill) Kaprizov and (Mats) Zuccarello and it was an eye-opener to see the speed of their shots, but it was a cool experience.”
Chase got the opportunity to play in half of one rookie exhibition game and felt it went as well as hoped.
“I talked with the goalie coach after, and he said I played well.”
He returned home with some usual solid advise.
“Play my game. They said they know what I can do I just need to refine it here and there and when I come back be ready to go,” he said, “I’m still young, only 18, so I have time to grow. Get bigger and gain experience.”
Chase is returning at the right time as the Rebels head into a tough, yet exciting time of the season. They face the top ranked Medicine Hat Tigers in a home-and-home this weekend – Friday at the Peavey Mart Centrium (TICKETS) then Saturday down in Medicine Hat – then again next Friday, Oct. 4 at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
“They’re a good team, but we know what we can do, just go out and play our game,” he said.
Wutzke knows all about the Tigers as he was spectacular last season in defeating them in the round one of the playoffs. In fact, he was brilliant in the post-season with a 2.48 goals-against-average and a .924 save percentage over five games.
Wutzke is looking to improve last year’s 2.28 GAA and .904 save percentage that helped him win Rebels Rookie of the Year honours.
As of now he’ll share duties with Stoesser and Shore as the Rebels will carry three goaltenders for the time being.
NOTES – Forwards Ollie Josephson (Seattle) and Kalan Lind (Nashville) have also returned to the Rebels from their NHL camps … Forward Kasper Pikkarainen (New Jersey) is set to rejoin the club Wednesday … The Rebels have just one player listed on this week’s injury report (Steven Steranka, F, Upper, Day-to-day) … Season tickets for 2024-25 are still available. Click HERE for details.
