Smooth-skating defenceman Hamilton gearing up for CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada

Calgary, Alta.- Nestled at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and Saskatchewan’s Highway Nine is the small town of Whitewood, Sask.

With a population of roughly 1,000 people, it’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody and it isn’t hard for a kid to find open ice at the local arena.

That’s where Reese Hamilton first hit the ice as a three-year-old and his dreams of hockey glory began.

“The rink was always open in Whitewood and I would go down there all the time- whenever I wanted to, really,” Hamilton recalled. “It was a small town, there’s no time or scheduling. It was easy to just get down there and practice, and then I just kind of fell in love with the game.”

Hamilton moved away from home at 14 to pursue hockey at the Canadian Sport School Hockey League level, and later, with the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League.

He got a hero’s welcome when he returned to the Whitewood Community Centre with the Blazers to face the Yorkton Maulers in January of 2023 and scored the game-winning goal.

These days, the Calgary Hitmen defenceman is playing in front of crowds that outnumber his hometown’s population- and the next time he walks through the doors of his childhood rink, he could be an NHL prospect.

“It’s been a little bit of a learning experience for me so far in the year, just with the draft and stuff coming up,” Hamilton said. “It’s cool to be on the radar of scouts, but you try not to think too much into it since it’s the start of the year.”

NHL Central Scouting has listed the 6-foot, 172-pound blueliner as a ‘B’ prospect, or projected second-to-third-round NHL Draft pick in its preliminary player list.

Now in his second full season with Calgary, where he was selected fourth overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Hamilton has put up nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points in 59 career games.

They may not be eye-popping numbers, but that’s not necessarily what makes Hamilton a valuable asset.

First-year Hitmen Head Coach Paul McFarland notes Hamilton’s skating and hockey IQ has helped him pick opportune moments to join the rush and create odd-man opportunities.

“He’s hard to play against,” McFarland said. “He takes away time and space from another team’s best players by using his feet and stick, and he’s able to create a little bit of offense by making simple plays. They don’t have to be highlight-of-the-night plays, but by making simple passes, moving into the forwards, getting a shot through from the point. He’s had very good stretches of that so far this year and we’re looking for him to keep getting better.”

The 17-year-old is also embracing continued success on the international stage.

He registered two assists for Canada Red at the 2023 World U17 Hockey Challenge and was one of the youngest players invited to rep the Maple Leaf at the 2024 World U18 Hockey Championship.

Most recently, he suited up for all five games as Canada clinched gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alta.

Hamilton says that gold medal is his most prized possession.

While there may not be gold on the line, he’ll get to reunite with many of his Hlinka Gretzky Cup teammates- particularly his childhood friend Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals)- as one of the 22 CHL players invited to participate in the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada.

Hamilton’s Hitmen teammate, Ben Kindel, will also represent the CHL.

The event will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL faceoff against USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 Team in a pair of tilts in London, Ont. and Oshawa, Ont. on November 26 and 27.

“When I found out I was getting selected, it was an honor to hear that,” Hamilton said. “To play with Ben and guys from the Hlinka team, it’s going to be cool.”

Before Hamilton takes off for Ontario, he’s focused on helping the Hitmen climb closer to a playoff position on a U.S. Division road trip.

After picking up a point in an overtime loss against the streaking Tri-City Americans, Calgary is turning its sights to Portland and the first-ever Wednesday Night in the Dub feature game.

The match between the Hitmen and Winterhawks will be streamed for free on the Western Hockey League’s YouTube channel and WHL Live on Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. MST.