The Myers Story

r The past 12 months have taken the Rockets’ towering defenseman, Tyler Myers on a whirlwind tour.

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r But, in reality, his journey has just begun.

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r Last fall, the 6’7” native of Houston, Texas, was one of many promising, but unpolished, youngsters hoping to bring winning hockey back to Prospera Place. Today, he’s a newly minted Canadian citizen and one of the most sought-after players in his age group.

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r There’s no telling where he’ll be a year from now. But, if you guess he’ll be on his way to the NHL, you probably won’t be far off.

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r Since he first donned Kelowna colours for a cameo appearance during the 2006 WHL playoffs, Myers’ smooth-skating talents and puck-handling skills were obvious, though they belied his immense stature. As a full time rookie last season, fans watched both his physical stature and his game continue to grow.

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r On many nights he’d bring the home crowd to its feet with an exciting end-to-end rush that saw him throttle up to top speed after only a couple of long, powerful strides. Though his defensive game was inconsistent, he was clearly a diamond in the rough.

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r But, the Myers file really started to bulge shortly after the start of 2007-08 season. With him eligible for the 2008 NHL Draft, the league’s Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) shocked many when they ranked him as the top draft-eligible defenseman in the WHL in their preliminary ratings. The fact that Myers ranked higher than more-celebrated and experienced team mate, Luke Schenn, spoke volumes for his limitless potential.

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r In their final rankings released in late April, CSB has Myers ranked as the 4^th best prospect in North America with Schenn breathing down his neck at 5^th. At this point, it seems highly likely that he’ll be a top-10 pick when the draft goes down on June 22 – especially with scouts mentioning the names of Chris Pronger and Zdeno Chara when describing Myers’ talents.

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r Though he started playing the game as a youngster in Houston, it wasn’t until he moved to the Calgary area at age 10 that Tyler started his ascent on the frozen pond. And, this country’s role in that ascent is the reason he’s now a proud Canadian.

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r Recently, his parents received their Canadian citizenship, automatically giving Tyler the option of dual-citizenship. Naturally, the USA hockey minds wanted him in their National program, but Canada won the tussle. In April, he flew to Calgary to get his Canadian passport. Not long after, he was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 2008 World U-18 Championships in Kazan, Russia.

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r “Becoming a Canadian was really the best decision for me,” he explains. “I received my passport just one month before Hockey Canada invited me to play for the U-18 team. I just know that I wouldn’t be the hockey player I am if I hadn’t moved to Canada.”

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r In Russia, Myers was joined by his Kelowna team mate, Brandon McMillan and the two enjoyed the spoils of a fulfilling Gold Medal victory. No doubt his performance against the best of his peer group solidified his high draft standing. In all, it was an experience he’ll never forget.

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r “It was a lot of fun playing for Canada. And, playing for a great coach like Pat Quinn was icing on the cake,” he explains.

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r “The city of Kazan was pretty nice. We got a chance to walk around a bit. We spent time at a mall and it was very similar to a mall in North America.”

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r Myers was paired with Marco Scandella, who plays for Val d’Or of the QMJHL, at the tournament and the duo shone in all situations. Combined, they posted a +14 rating in 7 games and emerged as Team Canada’s top defensive unit as the event wore on. Myers’ +7 placed him second in the entire tournament. He also picked up a goal and an assist.

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r “Marco and I worked really well together,” he says. “We were relied upon in all situations and I think we were used effectively by the coaches.”

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r With Gold on his resume, Myers’ focus is clearly on the upcoming draft. But, before he hears his name called in Ottawa, he’ll have to endure the rigours of the NHL Scouting Combine that opens May 26^th in Toronto.

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r At the Combine, the top draft-eligible prospects will be under the glaring watch of the NHL’s scouting and managerial fraternity for a 5-day session of interviews, meetings and gruelling fitness testing.

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r “I’ve been training hard, getting ready for the Combine,” he says. “In particular, there are two cardio tests that I’m focusing on – the bike Vo2 test and the Wingate test. I’ve also been doing a lot of push-ups and sit-ups and a variety of aerobic and anaerobic exercises.”

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r While the cardio gauntlet will surely test him, Myers knows the interviews with potential NHL employers could be equally as stressful.

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r “The interviews are set – a player could have anywhere between 10 and 25 interviews during the week,” he explains. “I sure have to be mentally ready for that.”

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r And, the NHL hockey world had better get ready for the Myers freight. His is a unique and interesting tale with the promise of a long and bright future.

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r Simply put, it’s a great story. A great Canadian story that is.

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