Soon to be twenty year old Weyburn Red Wings forward Rhett Bly is looking for big things from himself and his team this campaign.
The 5'10'' 176lb Regina native could very well lead the SJHL in scoring this season coming off a solid 70 point year including 27 goals. That was good enough for ninth in the league and tops amongst players expected to return to the SJHL this season.
Bly went through his 17 year-old season with the Pat Canadians in Regina then moved on to the Wings. He credits his midget coach for where he is today.
"He kinda taught me the defensive side of the game and made me a defensive specialist. And before that growing up I was more of an offensive player. After that year he groomed me into a more well rounded player."
Moving into his final year in junior, Bly already has his future set as he plans to head to Merrimack College next season but he and his Wings mates have some unfinished business after losing to Melville in six games in the South final.
"We want to come out of the gates hot this season. Take it one game at a time. We think we got the guys in the room this year that can really do something special with this team."
Both Torrey Lindsay and Preston Shupe, along with Bly, were a tremendous trio last year for Dwight McMillan's club. This season Bly will be called upon to score a big chunk of the team's goals but he says he won't have to do it alone.
"I think alot of guys are expected to pick up the slack from Shupe and Lindsay who are gone so I think we are looking at all of our forwards to step up their games and bring more offence to the table."
The red haired Red Wing is like lots of hockey players, superstitious, so messing with with the game day ritual is something Bly won't be doing anytime soon because it seems to be working.
''I am a little superstitious. After the pre game skate the team goes for breakfast and I order the same thing, then go home have a nap then eat pasta or chicken"
No matter what Bly does before the game you know what you will get when he hits the ice: 100 percent every shift and his small stature doesn't seem to be an issue, just like his favourite player, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.
When the Red Wings are in situations looking for a leader, McMillan will not have to look past Bly on the bench because, thanks to his AAA midget days, there is no situation Bly can't handle.
By: Clark Stork
Info from: http://www.sjhl.ca/news_item.aspx?news_id=1571
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment