Rebels bid farewell to standout contributors King, Sedoff and Isley
It’s the Western Hockey League’s annual rite of spring.
Every year, either in March, April or even May, teams bid adieu to their overage players.
The Red Deer Rebels are no exception, and on Thursday forwards Ben King and Jace Isley and defenceman Christoffer Sedoff bid their farewell.
“It’s pretty sad right now with obviously the loss and also for me my junior career being over, so it’s a hard time,” said King, two days after the Rebels’ season ended in Saskatoon, with the Blades taking the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal 4-3.
“You always look forward to coming back here in the fall and just kind of seeing the guys again. This time I won’t have that so it’s a hard moment, but I’ll just enjoy time with my teammates in the short while we have here together.”
King played the better part of four seasons with the Rebels after being acquired from the Swift Current Broncos in November of 2019.
“I was fortunate enough to get traded here back when I was 17 and my time here has been amazing,” he said. “It’s a first class organization. We get treated like pros with just everything in the dressing room and on and off the ice.
“It’s unbelievable. I love Red Deer. I’ll always stop by and visit old friends. It’s a second home for me.”
The Vernon, BC native scored 20 goals in the 2019-20 season, including 16 with the Rebels, then added 12 goals and 16 assists in 23 games during the pandemic-shortened 202-21 campaign.
King (No. 14, pictured) exploded for a WHL best 52 goals in ’21-22 and finished second in WHL scoring to linemate Arshdeep Bains with 105 points. He then contributed 17 goals and 35 points during the 2022-23 regular season, in which he missed a multitude of games due to injury, and added four goals and 11 points in 10 playoff games.
With the exception of the write-off COVID season, the Rebels experienced a rise in fortunes each year with King in the lineup.
“It’s pretty cool. When I was 17 we had like 10 17-year-olds. We were a very young team,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to see the same guys, the same faces who were here for the whole journey and how it paid off.
“It’s an exciting group and next year they’re going to be even better.”
King said the ’22-23 team can learn from the disappointment of losing the conference semifinal.
“Just take the loss and learn from it. Playoffs are up and down with momentum swings, you just have to learn from it,” he said. “I know they’ll be a strong team again next year. Work on that and be better in playoffs.”
King was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round of last year’s NHL entry draft and hopes to hear more from the team through the off season.
Sedoff, meanwhile, enjoyed a standout season with the Rebels and signed a free-agent, entry-level deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in early March.
He credited his decision to return to Red Deer in the fall of 2021 for landing the NHL contract.
Sedoff (No. 4, pictured) was a Rebels rookie in 2019-20, then remained home in Finland during the pandemic season for obvious reasons. But he was back in Red Deer in the fall of 2021 and this past season was one of the league’s elite defenders.
“I was definitely thinking after the COVID year, should I come back or not. Coming back, I think it was the best decision for me and also for the organization,” he said.
“It’s been a lovely time here. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, just kind of soaking in the time during the years and working hard. My billets have been so nice. They are nice people so it has been so easy to come here. They treated me like family. It made the transition so much easier.”
Sedoff will get to meet members of the Golden Knights organization this weekend.
“I’m going to Las Vegas Saturday for a week to meet everyone there. Then I will go home after that to Finland,” he noted.
The next time he will display his talents will be in September during the Golden Knights training camp. It will be his second stint at that level after attending the Calgary Flames rookie and main camps last fall.
“I will just show my work ethic and the two-way player that I am,” he said. “Just work hard and try to get the opportunity to play there.”
Isley joined the Rebels in 2019 as a 17-year-old rookie and progressed to the point where he was one of the club’s premier performers this past season, and was both a physical force and offensive contributor in the playoffs.
“I’m blessed. I came here with 12 or 13 rookies and being one of the last guys still standing in Red Deer is a blessing,” he said. “I’m honoured to still be in Red Deer.”
The Grande Prairie native scored 15 goals in his third WHL season and really took off as a 20-year-old in 2022-23, potting 30 goals and collecting 56 points during the regular season and adding three goals and three assists in the playoffs.
“Honestly, it was huge,” he said of his big season. “I struggled the first couple of years, including the COVID season. I had to find my way in this league and I’d say halfway through last year I started finding my footing and just carried it on to this year.”
The six-foot-two, 210-pound forward credited the Rebels coaching staff for pushing him to greater heights.
“Definitely they were a huge factor with my play this year,” he said. “They were hard on me and it was good, I needed that to keep it going.”
Isley (No. 18, pictured) was an absolute wagon in this year’s playoffs. His ability to win puck battles and shield pucks was second to none, and he showed a burst of speed that got him to the battle areas first.
Head coach Steve Konowalchuk was generous in his praise of arguably the team’s best post-season performer.
“He played so hard in the playoffs, all year actually with his point production and playing in all situations,” said the Rebels bench boss. “We knew he was a solid player, but he certainly took his game to another level.
“He has a chance to go pro now. Two years ago, I don’t know if anyone would have thought that. Those kinds of stories are awesome, that’s what makes it fun to coach at this level.
“Guys can improve quickly if they’re dedicated. Certainly he’s one who stepped up and he battled right to the end in the playoffs.”
Isley, who will go to university if he doesn’t get a preferred pro tryout, will always recall his time in Red Deer, including the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season when the players lived inside the Centrium.
“Living in the rink was crazy, it was a great learning experience for me,” he said. “I’m honoured to be in Red Deer and will be a Rebel for life. I’ll remember this always.”
