There is a long, long way to go before we're able to pass final judgement on Brent Sutter's work as Red Deer Rebels General Manager this season.
That being said, the early returns for his wheeling and dealing are looking good. Very good. And the possibility for long term benefits from these moves should have Rebels fans feeling pretty darn good about what the boss has been up to.
Showing posts with label Cody Thiel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Thiel. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
A Thiel For The Future
Rebels fans got another glimpse into the maturation process their team has gone through this season.
It came in the third period courtesy of Cody Thiel.
The 18-year-old Bruno, Saskatchewan gained the puck in the offensive zone, pulled not one but two toe drags, then went top shelf for the prettiest goal of the night.
Another example that in the end this long and often painful "learning experience" could well be worth it in the long run for the Rebels.
The goal was just the rookie blueliner's second of the season. But it's the latest shining moment in what has been quite a journey.
It wasn't so long ago that Thiel was playing Midget 'A' in small town Saskatchewan. Now he is playing top four defence minutes every night in major junior. And he's done a pretty darn good job of it. To be thrust into the situation in which he has been, and to come out of it with just a plus/minus rating of -1 through 52 games played, speaks quite well on the young man's character.
I suppose now would be a good time to talk about the fact that the Rebels beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 last night at the Enmax Centrium.
It was a fairly entertaining game between two teams who have travelled down much different paths on their respective non-playoff campaigns.
The Rebels started the season on fire (if you recall, they were within grasp of the conference lead at one point) before the 13-game losing streak and atrocious run of injuries sent their season into purgatory. They have been playing .500 hockey while continuing to limp toward the finish line (man games lost to injury this season will be close to reaching the 300 mark by the time all is said and done).
The Hurricanes started out the season 3-19 and no one was quite sure what the future had in store. But the Hurricanes were also going through their own bought of injuries at that time. Eventually, they got healthy and were able to put together a pretty decent string of .500 hockey the rest of the way. Chatting with GM / Head Coach Rich Preston, the certainly have high hopes for their future.
One final game for the Rebels tonight... should be an interesting one as the Edmonton Oil Kings come calling to the Enmax Centrium. Game time is 7:30pm. Be sure to tune in to our pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 7pm as we chat about tonight's game and the season as a whole.
It came in the third period courtesy of Cody Thiel.
The 18-year-old Bruno, Saskatchewan gained the puck in the offensive zone, pulled not one but two toe drags, then went top shelf for the prettiest goal of the night.
Another example that in the end this long and often painful "learning experience" could well be worth it in the long run for the Rebels.
The goal was just the rookie blueliner's second of the season. But it's the latest shining moment in what has been quite a journey.
It wasn't so long ago that Thiel was playing Midget 'A' in small town Saskatchewan. Now he is playing top four defence minutes every night in major junior. And he's done a pretty darn good job of it. To be thrust into the situation in which he has been, and to come out of it with just a plus/minus rating of -1 through 52 games played, speaks quite well on the young man's character.
I suppose now would be a good time to talk about the fact that the Rebels beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 last night at the Enmax Centrium.
It was a fairly entertaining game between two teams who have travelled down much different paths on their respective non-playoff campaigns.
The Rebels started the season on fire (if you recall, they were within grasp of the conference lead at one point) before the 13-game losing streak and atrocious run of injuries sent their season into purgatory. They have been playing .500 hockey while continuing to limp toward the finish line (man games lost to injury this season will be close to reaching the 300 mark by the time all is said and done).
The Hurricanes started out the season 3-19 and no one was quite sure what the future had in store. But the Hurricanes were also going through their own bought of injuries at that time. Eventually, they got healthy and were able to put together a pretty decent string of .500 hockey the rest of the way. Chatting with GM / Head Coach Rich Preston, the certainly have high hopes for their future.
One final game for the Rebels tonight... should be an interesting one as the Edmonton Oil Kings come calling to the Enmax Centrium. Game time is 7:30pm. Be sure to tune in to our pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 7pm as we chat about tonight's game and the season as a whole.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Petro Power
Playing with the lead is always a good thing (duh) so Alex Petrovic figured why waste time.
Charles Inglis won the opening face-off and Petrovic took it from there, skating in and scoring just ten seconds into the first period.
The quick goal stood as the eventual game winner as the Rebels blanked the Prince Albert Raiders 4-0 Wednesday night at the Enmax Centrium. The win puts them back at the .500 mark for the season (24-24-1-4) and keeps them within four points of Brandon for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference (the Wheaties came back to beat Regina 3-2 on Wednesday).
Petrovic was outstanding at both ends of the rink... finishing the game with two goals and well over 30 minutes of ice time, a result of the Rebels being able to dress only four defencemen. The Florida Panthers prospect is enjoying dealing with that challenge.
"You're out every second shift. Obviously, you can't complain... so you have to just take advantage of it and do my best out there... make simple plays and I thought I did that tonight."
Petrovic was far from being the only Rebels to play well on this night. All four Rebels defencemen played great as well. Mathew Dumba wasn't necessarily flashy but he was basically mistake-free. Cody Thiel and Stephen Hak, who in a non-injury ravaged season would likely be #7 and #8 on the depth chart and taking turns sitting in the press box, are doing a fantastic job with the opportunity they've both been given.
Up front... Youngsters Cory Millette and Joel Hamilton each had a goal and two assists and, in their own right, capitalized on some extra prime time shifts created by the absence of Colten Mayor.
And, as you would expect, the goaltender was on his game as well. Deven Dubyk was by no means busy in this one, facing just 17 shots, but he was solid and provided a calming influence between the pipes. He earned his first shutout as a Rebels in what should (hopefully) be his final game wearing those gaudy orange pads... the new ones are on their way!
The casual observer would mention the fact that the Rebels were playing the last place team in the conference. A team which came into last night 3-7 in its last ten games. Both are valid points. But the Rebels had played the Raiders twice previously this season... losing both games by scores of 7-2 and 5-0... meaning last night's 4-0 win came with a certain amount of payback.
Next up... a Friday night visit to Cranbrook.
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The Bentley Generals visit the Lloydminster Border Kings tonight for game one of the Chinook Hockey League final. The Generals are seeking their sixth straight league title and seventh overall. Game two in this best of three series goes Saturday night in Bentley.
Charles Inglis won the opening face-off and Petrovic took it from there, skating in and scoring just ten seconds into the first period.
The quick goal stood as the eventual game winner as the Rebels blanked the Prince Albert Raiders 4-0 Wednesday night at the Enmax Centrium. The win puts them back at the .500 mark for the season (24-24-1-4) and keeps them within four points of Brandon for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference (the Wheaties came back to beat Regina 3-2 on Wednesday).
Petrovic was outstanding at both ends of the rink... finishing the game with two goals and well over 30 minutes of ice time, a result of the Rebels being able to dress only four defencemen. The Florida Panthers prospect is enjoying dealing with that challenge.
"You're out every second shift. Obviously, you can't complain... so you have to just take advantage of it and do my best out there... make simple plays and I thought I did that tonight."
Petrovic was far from being the only Rebels to play well on this night. All four Rebels defencemen played great as well. Mathew Dumba wasn't necessarily flashy but he was basically mistake-free. Cody Thiel and Stephen Hak, who in a non-injury ravaged season would likely be #7 and #8 on the depth chart and taking turns sitting in the press box, are doing a fantastic job with the opportunity they've both been given.
Up front... Youngsters Cory Millette and Joel Hamilton each had a goal and two assists and, in their own right, capitalized on some extra prime time shifts created by the absence of Colten Mayor.
And, as you would expect, the goaltender was on his game as well. Deven Dubyk was by no means busy in this one, facing just 17 shots, but he was solid and provided a calming influence between the pipes. He earned his first shutout as a Rebels in what should (hopefully) be his final game wearing those gaudy orange pads... the new ones are on their way!
The casual observer would mention the fact that the Rebels were playing the last place team in the conference. A team which came into last night 3-7 in its last ten games. Both are valid points. But the Rebels had played the Raiders twice previously this season... losing both games by scores of 7-2 and 5-0... meaning last night's 4-0 win came with a certain amount of payback.
Next up... a Friday night visit to Cranbrook.
---
The Bentley Generals visit the Lloydminster Border Kings tonight for game one of the Chinook Hockey League final. The Generals are seeking their sixth straight league title and seventh overall. Game two in this best of three series goes Saturday night in Bentley.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Rebels (Finally) Beat The Tigers!
It was a recipe for disaster.
The Rebels were heading into a road game versus a team they hadn't beaten all season (hardly at all over the past couple of seasons) with just four of their regular defencemen in the lineup. Not gonna lie... I was bracing for the worst.
But those four d-man (Petrovic, Borejko, Thiel, Hak) along with the two call up's (Haydn Fleury, Kevin Pochuk) played admirably in a 6-3 Rebels win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
They weren't perfect... but they were very, very effective.
GAME SUMMARY
"Hak and Thiel in particular really gave us a lot" coach Jesse Wallin said post-game, "they did a good job of moving the puck, did a real good job of defending. Hakker was out there against Etem and Shinkaruk a lot and did a great job of shutting them down, not giving them a lot."
(Etem still did find a way to score all three Tigers goals. He leads the entire CHL with 47 this season.)
Fleury and Pochuk also held their own in what was a tough spot for the two youngsters.
"They weren't out there a lot, but they did get a fairly regular shift" noted Wallin, "I though they looked comfortable, too. They kept it simple. It was a high-paced game which was an adjustment for them at times. They certainly certainly didn't hurt us and they did a good job of defending."
Once again, the Rebels prospects did an admirable job of stepping up when called upon (ala Feser, Bleackley, Bricker).
No doubt Deven Dubyk was a happy man following last night's game. The 20-year-old netminder earned his first ever win over his former club (while still wearing those gaudy orange pads) making 24 saves in the process.
Tyson Ness, who has been extremely solid for the Rebels of late, scored the first two goals of the game for the Rebels. Charles Inglis scored their next two as he continues to heat up. Turner Elson netted his team leading 19th and John Persson scored the empty netter (actually, he was tripped up while heading in on the empty net and was awarded a goal) to seal the deal.
Once again, the Rebels climb within two points of the Wheaties for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference.
Once again, the Rebels will be challenged to play well in back-to-back games. It certainly won't be easy as they visit the conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday.
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OTHER NOTES...
- The Rebels finish January with a 6-5-1-1 record
- Forward Brooks Maxwell was back in the Rebels lineup after missing a few games with an upper body ailment
- Mathew Dumba will suit up for Team Cherry in tonight's CHL NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna. Last night, he took part in the hardest shot event at the skills competition... clocking in at 91.8 mph.
- Courtesy of @WHLFacts on Twitter... Turner Elson had 14 points in January, the highest total in any single month of his WHL career
The Rebels were heading into a road game versus a team they hadn't beaten all season (hardly at all over the past couple of seasons) with just four of their regular defencemen in the lineup. Not gonna lie... I was bracing for the worst.
But those four d-man (Petrovic, Borejko, Thiel, Hak) along with the two call up's (Haydn Fleury, Kevin Pochuk) played admirably in a 6-3 Rebels win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
They weren't perfect... but they were very, very effective.
GAME SUMMARY
"Hak and Thiel in particular really gave us a lot" coach Jesse Wallin said post-game, "they did a good job of moving the puck, did a real good job of defending. Hakker was out there against Etem and Shinkaruk a lot and did a great job of shutting them down, not giving them a lot."
(Etem still did find a way to score all three Tigers goals. He leads the entire CHL with 47 this season.)
Fleury and Pochuk also held their own in what was a tough spot for the two youngsters.
"They weren't out there a lot, but they did get a fairly regular shift" noted Wallin, "I though they looked comfortable, too. They kept it simple. It was a high-paced game which was an adjustment for them at times. They certainly certainly didn't hurt us and they did a good job of defending."
Once again, the Rebels prospects did an admirable job of stepping up when called upon (ala Feser, Bleackley, Bricker).
No doubt Deven Dubyk was a happy man following last night's game. The 20-year-old netminder earned his first ever win over his former club (while still wearing those gaudy orange pads) making 24 saves in the process.
Tyson Ness, who has been extremely solid for the Rebels of late, scored the first two goals of the game for the Rebels. Charles Inglis scored their next two as he continues to heat up. Turner Elson netted his team leading 19th and John Persson scored the empty netter (actually, he was tripped up while heading in on the empty net and was awarded a goal) to seal the deal.
Once again, the Rebels climb within two points of the Wheaties for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference.
Once again, the Rebels will be challenged to play well in back-to-back games. It certainly won't be easy as they visit the conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday.
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OTHER NOTES...
- The Rebels finish January with a 6-5-1-1 record
- Forward Brooks Maxwell was back in the Rebels lineup after missing a few games with an upper body ailment
- Mathew Dumba will suit up for Team Cherry in tonight's CHL NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna. Last night, he took part in the hardest shot event at the skills competition... clocking in at 91.8 mph.
- Courtesy of @WHLFacts on Twitter... Turner Elson had 14 points in January, the highest total in any single month of his WHL career
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