WHL Cup Preview: Team Alberta
When it comes to Alberta’s preparations for the 2017 WHL Cup, there’s little doubt left as to why they’ve been the best in the west since the tournament’s inception.
Besides a silver medal in 2012, Alberta have been the dominant team at the tournament, collecting the gold five times, including their current three-peat that they’ll attempt to extend to four later this week.
Spiros Anastas was an associate coach with Alberta’s team last year and has assumed the head coaching gig for this year’s squad where he’ll look to extend the team’s dominance at the tournament.
“We’re just a team that always focuses on the process, step-by-step getting better each time,” Anastas said. “We have a vision for the end of the tournament of where we want to be, but for us it’s a lot about development and getting better each day with a different focus each day moving through the round-robin tournament.”
All 11 of the Alberta-born first-round selections from the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, including first-overall pick Kaiden Guhle, will be present and playing together as a group for the first time. Despite that, Anastas doesn’t expect his team’s chemistry to be a problem.
From their respective regions throughout the province, from Lethbridge to Fort McMurray, these players have already been a part of their respective zone camps, Alberta Cup squads and eventually into the Top 80 camp, which has since been narrowed down to the 20 players that will take to the ice in game-action Wednesday.
“Through those processes, we’re always doing the team building there and the same messaging,” continued Anastas.
“We’re not just looking through the top 20 statistical players. We’re looking at guys that can fit in certain roles and guys that have some versatility in their game.”
Guhle, who represents the future for the Prince Albert Raiders, also represents the now for Alberta and will be expected to anchor the backend with the likes of Edmonton’s Luke Prokop (Calgary Hitmen) and others.
“It’s great to represent my province,” Guhle said, adding he got some advice from his older brother Brendan, who played in the tournament in 2012 and has since graduated to the Buffalo Sabres organization. “He said to have fun and take it all in, learn as much as I can.”
As the token ‘next big thing’ in terms of WHL Prospects, Guhle knows the spotlight will inevitably be put on him. Facing off against 71 players who were selected later than him in the draft, Guhle is less worried about matching up against them and more focused on what colour of medal will be around his neck on Sunday.
“I’m just trying to learn everything from all the coaches and from guys,” the Sherwood Park, Alta. product said. “Just working hard and coming together is probably the biggest two things.”
That spotlight will be on Alberta indefinitely as the three-time defending champions. Anastas knows that all too well and is ready for the challenge that comes with being the defending champion with the focus being game number one Wednesday against Saskatchewan.
“Everybody’s here to win, everybody’s here to perform,” Anastas continued. “You can’t be thinking about the gold medal game before you play the first game against Saskatchewan on Wednesday.
“We just take it one day at a time and that’s just the messaging for us. We think the guys have bought into that.”
Alberta will open their conquest for a fourth-straight gold medal at the 2017WHL Cup when they host Saskatchewan Wednesday, October 18 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alta.
For more information on the WHL Cup, visit prospects.whl.ca