WHL Cup Preview: Team British Columbia

 

This coming Tuesday will mark exactly two years since Ben King’s long-range shot from the blue line elevated British Columbia to their second-ever championship at the WHL Cup.

With a new staff set to guide a new roster, the goal now becomes to defend that title while providing players with the opportunity to raise their game as well under the watchful eyes of scouts.

“I would say expectations are high,” said head coach Jamie Jackson. “We expect to have success there. We have the roster for it; we have the coaches for it. We’re going there to have success.”

The 2019 WHL Bantam Draft showcased the province’s best talent, with this year’s WHL Cup roster featuring nine first-round selections that hail from the western-most province. Brandon Lisowsky, the ninth-overall selection of the Saskatoon Blades is a key part of the team’s forward group.

“I think we’re going to have a really good team going into next week,” Lisowsky said. “Since the first tryouts in March, I felt that playing against a lot of the other players helped me get better.”

Lisowsky led the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam Prep as their captain in 2018-19 while also playing a leading offensive role. His 49 points (32G-17A) in 26 games ranked second in team scoring last season. He then took over that top spot in the playoffs, posting 10 points (5G-5A) in three games.

The Port Coquitlam, B.C. product won’t be alone in terms of players who have already attended a WHL training camp. Describing the feeling of draft day as a ‘dream’, Lisowsky is using his experience for the better, passing along lessons to other players within his Burnaby Winter Club Prep team.

Now, the key become translating that personal growth into success in a short tournament.

“I’m more of a goal scorer, play-maker, and hopefully I’ll get to play that role as well for the B.C. team,” Lisowsky added.

Joining him up front will be plenty of first-round talent, including Mathew Ward. The 14th-overall selection by the Swift Current Broncos made his WHL debut on Tuesday night in his hometown of Kamloops and will represent his province after posting 64 points (24G-40A) in 30 games last season with Delta Hockey Academy. Delta’s Niall Crocker is another strong add for the province. The last pick of the first round in May by the Prince Albert Raiders recorded 45 points (18G-27A) in 30 games last season with the Delta Hockey Academy.

Defenceman Mats Lindgren, a top pick of the Kamloops Blazers, went seventh overall and was the first B.C.-born player selected. Also on defence, the Broncos have another prospect to get excited about in Richmond’s Tyson Jugnauth. Grayden Siepmann, a first-round selection of the Calgary Hitmen will return to southern Alberta looking to play a strong role with his province.

Monte Creek’s Kolby Hay, a pick of the Edmonton Oil Kings, and Maple Ridge’s Kyle Kelsey, a pick of the Moose Jaw Warriors, will guard the crease.

“We’re definitely strong on the back,” Jackson said. “Our back end is mobile. They like to play the puck. Up front, we have depth this year.

“We have a core group of kids up front that are going to play a gritty style, a fast style. I don’t think we’re going to be the most-skilled team in the tournament, but we’re definitely going to play the hardest based on the way we picked the team.”

The sharing of lessons and philosophy for the tournament has also extended to the coaching staff. Jackson utilized his connections with British Columbia’s coaching staff at the tournament in 2017 to give him a better sense of what to expect while also blending in his own principles.

“Our message is going to be that every day is important,” Jackson said. “Every day there will be a message that today we’re going to move forward in these areas. We’ve got to use each day to get to where we want to get to.

“If we take days off then we’re going to pay for it in the end. It’s going to be more about looking at things as a process. We’ve got some preparation time and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”

British Columbia begins the round-robin portion of their schedule at the 2019 WHL Cup on Wednesday, October 23 (3:00 p.m. MT) against Manitoba.

JUST ANNOUNCED! @BCHockey_MU16BC roster for @TheWHL Cup! #BCSTRONG

MORE INFO: https://t.co/DvEUmU9C59 pic.twitter.com/XxZiOcii8X

— BC Hockey (@BCHockey_Source) October 9, 2019