Bell Excited To Be A Warrior
Last week the Moose Jaw Warriors and Kamloops Blazers teamed up for one of the most significant trades of the year. Headed west was 19 year old and fan favorite Joel Edmundson, while coming to Moose Jaw was Regina products Tyler Bell (18) and Jayden Halbgewachs (15) along with a first round pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.
Halbgewachs is currently playing with the Pat Canadians of the SMAAAHL, while Bell travelled throughout Thursday and Friday to make it Moose Jaw where he made his Warriors debut Friday night against Red Deer.
“I was pretty excited. Coming to Moose Jaw I knew it was a great organization and a great team,” said Bell when talking about his initial reaction to the trade. “When I heard Moose Jaw I was pretty excited, it was tough leaving those guys (in Kamloops) they were my family, I have a new family now and thrilled to be a part of it.”
“It’s pretty tough coming from so far out west to back east, it’s a little different,” Bell added when talking about the move. “The guys are really helping out; they’re showing me the way the Warriors play and I think I’m really going to fit in.”
“I don’t think I’ve been nervous like that since playoffs last year,” he said when talking about his nerves when he made his debut last Friday. “I thought I played well for my first game after driving all day (from Kamloops) and just got better.”
Bell spent a year and a half with the Blazers, and says his style should mix in well with the tribe. “I’m a textbook defensive-defencemen; you’re not going to see me jump into the rush to much. I like doing it the odd time, it doesn’t hurt scoring the odd goal,” he said. “For me, I’m going to be a physical up in your face type of guy, that’s how I like to play and if that means dropping the gloves to get the guys going I’m not afraid to do that either.”
“It comes at certain times, I can’t go out of my way to make those hits,” he added when talking about his physical style. “Big hits get the guys going and if it’s going to get us excited and help us win a game I’ll do anything for these guys.”
In 54 games last year Bell had 1 goal and 12 points, in 29 games this year with the Blazers he had one goal (which came against Moose Jaw December 1st) and four points. The 18 year old says he feels coming to the Friendly City is a great opportunity for him to grow as a player.
“In Kamloops we had a lot of top guys and I didn’t get the opportunities like I think I’m going to get here. I wouldn’t play four-on-four, I wouldn’t play on the power play,” he said. “I think here I can step in and play on the power play when needed and play more four-on-four. I think I’ll be put into more key situation here, I think that will help me grow as a player and I’m excited for that.”
Not only does he view playing in Moose Jaw as a chance to grow as a player, Bells says he’s also looking forward to being a teammate with his good friend, Warriors second year forward Tanner Eberle. “I called him instantly after the trade. Back home were best friends, we see each other every day. It’s surreal; it doesn’t happen every day where best friends back home get to play on the same team. We’re both thrilled; we have the biggest smiles on our faces.”
Bell and Eberle both call Regina home, and the newest Warrior says he’s looking forward to squaring off against his hometown team more in the upcoming years. “It’s funny, my brother and I had a talk and he said its weird how when we were younger we were going to Regina games and watching the rivalry games against Moose Jaw. Now that I’m on the opposite side it’s pretty cool and surreal.”
Bell and the Warriors are off until Wednesday when they take on the Memorial Cup hosting Saskatoon Blades at Mosaic Place; this will be the two East Division rivals first matchup of the season.
On the weekend the tribe closes its pre-Christmas schedule with a home-and-home series against Brandon, the first game goes Friday in Manitoba and the back-half is Saturday in Moose Jaw. Saturday’s game is also the Warriors Teddy Bear Toss Night, fans are encouraged to bring plush toy to the game and when the team scores they’ll be thrown on the ice and then collected and given to the Salvation Army.
