WHL Stars of Tomorrow: Beckett Hamilton, Red Deer Rebels

After a summer of marking down bogies at local golf courses in Saskatoon, Sask., Beckett Hamilton has swapped out his driver and irons for his stick and skates, as he heads west for another training camp in Red Deer, Alta.

However, the upcoming WHL campaign feels a little bit different for the forward selected 18th overall at the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.

Instead of earning call-up opportunities as an affiliate player, this year’s training camp will have him vying for a full-time spot on the Rebels’ roster.

An appealing venture that he welcomes with open arms, Hamilton recognizes that the greater the opportunity equates to the greater the responsibility. And, it’s the type of challenge that he’s been, not-so-patiently, waiting for all summer.

His drive to crack the Rebels’ main roster feeds from the experience he gained during last season’s training camp, along with a short three-game, regular-season stint he got in March 2023.

“I think the speed and how much stronger guys are, that’s definitely the main thing that I saw. And everyone’s always, position-wise, in their spot and it’s just very structured,” he admits.

With the 18th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, the @Rebelshockey select Beckett Hamilton from the Humboldt Broncos U15 AA.#WHLDraft pic.twitter.com/f95HZSQfPq

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 11, 2023

The 16-year-old also feels like he has a slight advantage in knowing what it takes to be a regular in the Western League, having played a fistful of games with the Rebels.

“I think there’s just lots of work ethic and staying positive. There are lots of ups and downs throughout the year, and it’s a longer year than the one I’m used to. So I think I’ll just have to stay positive and just keep my work ethic up.”

Hamilton’s three-game stretch with Red Deer began on March 15, 2024, when he made his League debut in a road tilt with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. His debut tour then continued into his home province of Saskatchewan, where he was an incredibly last-second addition to the Rebels’ lineup for a game in Swift Current, Sask.

The move was so last-second that Hamilton – and the small portion of his family in attendance – didn’t get the heads up that he was slated to play until after he returned from on-ice warmups.

“I took warm-ups. Thought I was the extra [skater] and wasn’t going to play that game, but then one of the guys ended up being sick, so I hopped in and it was super cool,” Hamilton shared.

“I got a chance to text my dad though, and he was pretty surprised. So, he was very excited.”

Hamilton went on to close out his trio of Western League appearances with a start in front of a home crowd at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

WHL Stars of Tomorrow – Beckett Hamilton

After helping lead Humboldt to a SAAHL U15 Championship last season, Beckett Hamilton continues to shine in Warman, sitting tied for fifth in points in the SMAAAHL. @Rebelshockey | @hockeysask | @AAAWarman

See Hamilton’s full report ⬇️

— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 14, 2024

Although a hectic week, Hamilton still managed to garner approval from the Rebels coaching staff, led by recent hire and WHL alumnus Dave Struch.

While there always remains room for improvement, the bench boss knows talent when he sees it.

“All players that come to this league, the way the game’s played right now, they all have a great skill set. Some are more gifted than others. Beckett has that gift,” Struch said. “It’s when you play as fast as the game is played now, and as heavy as it is, physical as it is, you have to have a level of intelligence without the puck.”

Although, their introduction in Red Deer wasn’t the first time Struch had seen Hamilton in action.

During his time as the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the Notre Dame Hounds hockey program, Struch frequented countless Saskatchewan Male U18 (SMAAAHL) games across the neighbouring towns of Saskatchewan. Many of these games featured Beckett Hamilton and his Warman Wildcats U18 AAA team.

Without knowing that he would – one day – be Hamilton’s coach in the WHL, Struch’s eye quickly and frequently gravitated to the talented forward. Shift after shift, he admired the work ethic the teenager showed.

“One of the things at a young age that you look for is the compete.”

It was the same level of competition and edge that impressed Struch during Hamilton’s time with the Rebels, last season.

“A lot of them at such a young age, you can see the competitive edge that they’ve got because of size and a little bit of skill…He didn’t shy away. He got engaged in every battle,” he continued. “He’s not going to win every battle, that’s for sure, but his ability to stay in it and stay committed to it is going to be really important.”

The idea of being comfortable losing battles echoes a wider sentiment that Struch has been preaching since he joined the Rebels organization. And, it’s a piece of advice he’s also shared with Hamilton.

“I think the bigger thing of all of it is, not being afraid to make mistakes, because those mistakes you can learn from them. Make sure you take it all in and learn from them,” Struch explained. “Those little failures help you gain little victories. The little victories help you have more successes.”

From these small setbacks, Struch hopes that Hamilton can evolve into the player he hopes he can. And the type of player Hamilton wants to be.

“Every coach wants that gifted, skilled player to compete at a high level and play 200 feet. We do expect [Beckett] to do all of that for us. But, I think in the end, once he does play the game at a high speed and competes at a high level consistently, we expect him to be a leader as well.”

Luckily for Struch and his coaching staff, Hamilton is more than prepared to step up and lead by example. As he heads into his first full season in the Western League, the 16-year-old is craving the opportunity to capture success with the organization – just like the Rebels before him did.

“It’s an honour. Lots of good players have come through that organization, so I’m just trying to be another one and do what I can and help the organization.”