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WHL Red Deer Rebels

Rebels Veterans Insist Remaining Games Are Vital to Development of Team

February 27, 2020 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


The Red Deer Rebels are not yet mathematically eliminated from the WHL playoff race, but really, it's just a matter of time.

With 11 games remaining, the Rebels are 18 points back of the Saskatoon Blades in the hunt for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. So the countdown is on.

The Rebels, however, have every intention of playing out the remainder of the season like they were in a post-season race. It's an approach that should pay off in 2000-21 when the vast majority of the players will be returning.

"You look at our roster and 18 or 19 players . . . it's going to be the same group coming back next year," said alternate captain Chris Douglas (pictured above), who projects to return as one of the Rebels' three overage players. "Really, that has to be the main focus for most of us.

"We can't really look at it like playing out the season. For us, it's like playoff hockey. We have to look at it that way."

With seven home dates - including visits by the Winnipeg Ice and Edmonton Oil Kings Friday and Saturday - left to go with four on the road, the Rebels will be on the hunt for points regardless of their situation.

"We have to get as many as possible. Wins are expected of us," said Douglas. "It's not like we're a young team anymore, we can't use that excuse.

"The outlook for the rest of the season is to try and win as many games as possible and get this group ready for next year. Also, just play our hearts out for Sacko and Hauser (graduating players Ethan Sakowich and Cam Hausinger), it's their last season in the league.

"They've done whatever they can for us and we have to do them same for them."

As one of the Rebels leaders, Douglas knows he has to be a guiding force through the final contests. But he stressed that he's still basically a student of the major junior game.

"It's important to just kind of show them (first- and second-year players) the way," said the Richmond, B.C. native, in his fourth season with the team.

"And even though I'm 19 going on 20 (in July) I still have lots to learn. I just try and pass on what I've learned from idols I've had here, like Johny (former captain Reese Johnson), a guy who I looked up to when he was here. I try and be one of those guys to the younger players like he was to me when I was younger."

Rebels current captain Sakowich (pictured above) is also in his fourth season with the Rebels. But unlike Douglas, he won't be back with the team next fall.

He agreed with his veteran teammate that the goal down the stretch is to further prepare the club for the 2000-21 campaign.

"Obviously that's the No. 1 priority of the team from a management standpoint," said the product of Athabasca who celebrated his 21st birthday on Feb. 4

"For us, it's kind of like a win-win situation. We're still playing meaningful hockey. We're playing the spoilers role, to try and ruin those other team's chances.

"It's important for all of us, including us older guys. Our goals aren't finished yet, we still have places we want to go next year. It's just important that we keep getting better every day."

Sakowich has seen definite growth in the young Rebels squad throughout the season.

"Just look at the difference between now and Day One," he said. "We have a lot of young guys playing roles right now and doing a great job.

"I feel everyone on the team has improved and it's really good to see."

Rebels vs. Winnipeg Ice

Friday, 7 p.m., Centrium

Winnipeg is coming off a 4-1 loss at Calgary on Thursday and sits third in the East Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-23-1-0 record. The Ice have suffered three straight defeats, including a 10-1 drubbing on Tuesday at Edmonton, and are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 outings . . . RW Isaac Johnson leads all Winnipeg point producers with 67, including 23 goals. RW Michal Teply follows with 56 (26g,30a) in 48 games and C Peyton Krebs, a prime Vegas Golden Knights prospect, has 51 (10-41) in just 34 games. Injured RW Connor McClennon is next with 49 points (21-28) in 42 games, while LW Owen Pederson and LW Jackson Leppard have each reached or surpassed the 20-goal level, with 23 and 20, respectively. Former Rebels captain Dawson Barteaux is sixth in team scoring with 10 goals and 40 points . . . . Krebs was selected by Vegas in the first round of last year's NHL entry draft, while Teply was taken by Chicago in the fourth round. Barteaux was drafted by Dallas in the sixth round in 2018 and has signed with the Stars . . . Ice No. 1 netminder Liam Hughes sports an 18-10-0 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. Rookie Alexander Gage is 0-1-1 with a 5.22 GAA and save percentage of .828.

Injuries: Winnipeg - C Peyton Krebs (lower body, day-to-day), RW Connor McLennon (upper body, 8-10 weeks). Red Deer - None.

Special teams: Winnipeg - 22.2 per cent, 10th overall; penalty kill 75.4 per cent, 20th. Red Deer - Power play 17.3 per cent, 17th overall; penalty kill 76.5 per cent, 19th.

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