Getting to know Colton Dach
Heading into the 2018 WHL Draft, former Kelowna Rockets forward Tyson Baillie joked with his neighbour, Colton Dach, that the Rockets might select him. While that didn’t come to fruition then, Dach eventually did become a Rocket when Kelowna acquired the forward from the Saskatoon Blades yesterday.
Colton is the younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby. Colton said that seeing Tyson play for the Rockets fueled the brothers drive to want to play in the WHL someday.
“Every time Tyson would come home, Kirby and I would always want to go out on the ice with him and be out there with him. He was playing in the WHL, and that was what we wanted to do in our careers one day and then take the next step to the NHL. He was someone that we always watched, we would sneak in a few late bedtimes to tune into his games.
“One year for our Christmas present from Tyson he gave us each a Kelowna Rockets jersey, I’m sure my mom will be digging that photo up soon.”
Kelowna didn’t have the chance to pick Colton in 2018 as the Blades scooped up the younger Dach brother with the sixth pick in the draft. Kirby had previously been selected second overall by Saskatoon in 2016.
Fans of the @Kelowna_Rockets can expect to see more of this from @NHLBlackhawks prospect Colton Dach! pic.twitter.com/VOfevGMVOQ
— The WHL (@TheWHL) September 28, 2021
Colton was able to spend a couple of months in the ‘City of Bridges’ during the 2018-19 season. He said that having the chance to watch his brother and the team following his draft year helped show him what the WHL was all about.
“I didn’t get the chance to play a game with Kirby in Saskatoon, but I was up there for a couple of months. As a 15-year-old going there and watching a player of his stature, being there with him every single day and seeing how he carried himself and trained is something that not a lot of people get to do. I think that was a huge part of my development was being around him and the team for those two months when I was 15.”
Kirby departed the Blades during the 2019-20 season, cracking the Blackhawks roster as an 18-year-old.
During that same season, Colton produced 29 points (11G, 18A) through 62 games in Saskatoon as a 16-year-old rookie.
During the shortened 2020-21 hub season, Dach improved his numbers, producing 20 points (11G, 9A) over 20 games. He led all Saskatoon skaters in goals (11) and power-play goals (5) scored last season. He credited the spike in his game with having extra time to train.
“I think personally for myself, the 12 months that we had off for offseason training because of Covid was good for me — I think it was good for my development. Starting to play games again back in March was a little weird, but after a few games I started to find my groove and got back to playing hockey.”
Another moment of deja vu unfolded for the Dach family this past summer when the Blackhawks selected Colton in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
“That was an unreal moment for not only me, but also for my family and Kirby. When Chicago was on the clock there, Kirby got a text a few minutes before and was smirking at one of my friends, it was that friend’s job was to go get the hat. I kind of saw their eye contact, so I didn’t know…but I kind of knew.”
WOOOOO HAWKS BABY
Big bro Kirby said it better than we ever could have as he crashed Colton Dach's first #Blackhawks media sesh! pic.twitter.com/Sionlf3g5T
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 24, 2021
Currently, Dach is at his first NHL camp in Chicago where he says that the experience has been good.
“We went to Minnesota for a little mini-tournament there where we played two games back-to-back against the Wild’s rookies. That was good to get the experience out there, then we came back here and had our development camp. It has been good to watch guys like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Kirby, to see how hard they push themselves during their fitness testing and then see their skills on the ice.”
While still in Chicago, Dach got the news that he would be joining the Rockets organization. He told kelownarockets.com that he’s looking forward to getting here and gave a preview of what fans can expect from him.
“It’s not easy getting traded, it’s something I wanted, but I’ve made a lot of memories playing in Saskatoon. It’s something that I think is going to help me be a better player and help me develop.
“I know Trevor and I think where we’re similar is that he likes to score goals and I like to score them too, that’s something that’s not going to change. I think for myself, something that I bring to the table is my compete level. I’m a bigger guy and I think I can use my body to knock guys down, be physical on the puck or in the corners. I want to be an all-around player, that’s what I’m going to bring to the Kelowna Rockets.”
When asked about personal goals this season, Dach talked about his major goal once he arrives from Chicago.
“I want to win first and foremost, I think that’s the biggest thing I’m going to bring to Kelowna is that competitive nature. The Rockets have had a long history of being successful and that’s something I want to help continue.”
The Rockets are set to open their home regular-season schedule on October 15, 2021, against the Kamloops Blazers. Season tickets are now available to the general public for the upcoming 2021-22 Rockets season. Click here for details and pricing.
