CHLGOTW: Spokane vs. Red Deer — Five to watch
The first CHL Game of the Week of 2024 sees the Red Deer Rebels (19-13-5) host the Spokane Chiefs (14-18-4) at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
Red Deer comes into tonight’s contest unbeaten in regulation over their last four games (2-0-2) as they’ve moved up to sixth place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. In fact, over their past 11 games, the Rebels have gone 7-2-2.
Their surge can certainly be attributed to the performance of goaltenders Rhett Stoesser and Chase Wutzke, both of whom hold save percentages north of .900 and GAA’s under 2.75 this season.
Scoring has been an issue for the Rebels all year though; their 106 goals are the fewest in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and third lowest in the league. However, the club has been without two of its top offensive producers for large portions of the season; Kalan Lind (NSH) has appeared in just 19 of Red Deer’s 37 games while Carson Latimer hasn’t suited up since Nov. 28 although he is expected to return before the end of January. Nevertheless, captain Kai Uchacz has scored 22 goals this year while 2024 NHL Draft prospect Ollie Josephson sits second in team scoring.
On the man advantage, the Rebels convert just 19.3 per cent of the time, the fifth lowest in the WHL but on the other hand, they own the sixth best penalty kill at 81.9 per cent.
A year ago, the Rebels won 43 games and advanced to the second round of the WHL Playoffs before they fell in seven games to Saskatoon. If Derrick Walser’s team makes the postseason this year, it’d mark eight straight seasons of playoff hockey in Red Deer.
As for Spokane, they are hoping for a return to the postseason after they missed out last year.
Berkly Catton, arguably the CHL’s top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, continues to star as he sits seventh in WHL scoring while Conner Roulette and Chase Bertholet add additional firepower up front. Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs’ 23.7 per cent power play is sixth best in the WHL.
Dawson Cowan, who alongside Catton and Josephson, will compete at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game later this month, owns a .907 save percentage in the Chiefs goal. A six-game losing streak in early December pushed the Chiefs down the standings but the club has gone 4-2-1 since to move back into ninth place in the Western Conference.
Tonight is just the third meeting between the two sides in the last five years where each side collected a victory.
With playoff aspirations, there’s plenty of talent for fans to keep an eye on tonight. Fans can watch tonight’s game on CHLTV and TSN+ at 7:00pm MT.
Chase Bertholet – Spokane
Overage forward Bertholet continues to tally up points in Spokane.
In 32 games this year, the 20-year-old has 44 points (14 goals) as he continues to build on a 69-point campaign from 2022-23.
Bertholet also etched himself in Spokane franchise history on Dec. 30 as he scored the 10,000th goal in a 6-2 win over Tri-City.
History = made! Last night, Chase Bertholet scored the 10,000th goal in Spokane Chiefs history with help from a saucy backhand pass by Berkly Catton 🤩#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/t5qPZDINnj
— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) December 31, 2023
Berkly Catton – Spokane
In his draft year, Catton has been simply outstanding in 2023-24.
A ‘Grade A’ prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, Catton sits seventh in both goals (26) and points (61) among WHL skaters, both of which are new career highs.
A year ago, the 17-year-old had 55 points as a rookie while he starred at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as he helped lead Canada to gold after he led the tournament in goals (8) and points (10).
Captain Catton lifts the #HlinkaGretzkyCup trophy! 🏆
Le capitaine Catton soulève le trophée ! #CoupeHlinkaGretzky 🏆 pic.twitter.com/347Rvyjjm2
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) August 5, 2023
Kalan Lind – Red Deer
Lind has struggled with injury this year as he’s played in just 51 per cent of Red Deer’s games.
When healthy, he’s produced 18 points (five goals) in 19 games and is coming off of a 44-point campaign last year that culminated with him being the 46th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft by Nashville.
The sixth overall pick in the 2020 WHL Draft, Lind won gold with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The 18-year-old has missed Red Deer’s last two games through illness but there’s hope he plays this evening.
Mats Lindgren – Red Deer
Lindgren continues to be steady from the Red Deer blue line as he leads all Rebels d-man in scoring with 22 points.
Acquired from Kamloops, who took him seventh overall in the 2019 WHL Draft, ahead of the 2022-23 season, Lindgren had a career high 11 goals a season ago.
The Vancouver native was the 106th overall pick by Buffalo in the 2022 NHL Draft.
We blinked and we literally missed this cannon from Mats Lindgren. @Rebelshockey | @BuffaloSabres pic.twitter.com/j1vNsFu1Ch
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 26, 2023
Conner Roulette – Spokane
On his third team in three years, Roulette continues to put up points.
The former Dallas Stars draft pick has 25 goals and 53 points in 36 games and is on pace for career highs across the board in his final season of junior.
He recorded back-to-back 60-plus point seasons with Seattle (2021-22) and Saskatoon (2022-23) and if his current projections hold up, he will become the 16th player in Chiefs history to record 100 points in a season.
