Chase Witala hasn't yet signed his first pro hockey contract but he returned from the Dallas Stars rookie camp looking like a million bucks.
Sporting a finely-tailored navy blue suit and fresh haircut, the 20-year-old Prince George Cougars left winger had nothing but good things to say about his time with the Stars playing in the rookie tournament last week in Traverse City. Mich.
Witala played all four games in the tournament on a line with 21-year-old Brandon Magee (former with Victoria Royal) and 20-year-old Mads Eler (Edmonton Oil Kings). Witala tallied two assists in the Stars final game a week ago Tuesday, a 7-2 win over the Cougars winger Jared Bethune and the Minnesota Wild. The Stars finished fifth with a 2-1-1 record.
"It was a pretty cool experience, it was a good opportunity for me and I had fun,'" said Witala. "It was a special feeling putting that jersey on and playing against some of those players. (The Stars) had a couple of high-end picks and some top European guys, a lot of guys who will play in the AHL this year."
After getting invited to the Stars prospects camp in July, Witala scrimmaged for about a month in Prince George with pros Eric Hunter and Brandon Manning and a group of other junior players and that got him ready for his first pro training camp. With the NHL brass watching, Witala held his own in Stars camp and said he didn't feel out of place.
"I thought it was a good first one for me and hopefully I'll have a strong start here (with the Cougars) and see what happens," Witala said.
"It's fun to play when guys are that good, passes are always on the tape and there aren't many mistakes out there, it's almost an easier game. Guys are definitely bigger and stronger and that's something I need to improve on but the speed's there and that's nice. It was good chance to see what I have to do to improve. Hopefully I'll have a good year here and then go to another camp the following year."
Witala, who was born and raised in Prince George, led the Cougars with 38 goals in 2014-15 and was second on the team in points with 69. Now, after skating with the pros, he's looking to raise those totals and take the Cougars deep into the playoffs.
"I'm really excited about the team, it's going to be my last year and it looks like it'll be a pretty special one," said Witala, who added eight pounds over the summer and now tips the scales at 175 on a six-foot frame.
"We have a good team on paper, hopefully we can put it together this year and make a run for it. We have a pretty good top-six (forwards) and I'm sure it'll be fine no matter who I'm playing with."
The Columbus Blue Jackets, with Cougars defenceman Sam Ruopp in the lineup, went 3-1 in the Prospects tournament and defended their title, beating Detroit 5-2 in the championship game. Ruopp went on to the Jackets' main camp, as did Brad Morrison (New York Rangers), Tate Olson (Vancouver Canucks), Jesse Gabrielle (Boston Bruins) and Jansen Harkins (Winnipeg Jets).
The Cougars' drafted players were all sent back on Sunday with the exception of Harkins. The Jets wanted to get a better look at him and kept him around until he left Winnipeg on Thursday. His return means the Cougars could have all seven of their NHL prospects in the lineup tonight (7 p.m.) when they take on the Everett Silvertips in the season-opener at CN Centre. The rematch will be played Sunday at 5 p.m.
Kevin Constantine's crew always plays well defensively. The 'Tips will lean heavily on 20-year-old G Austin Lotz (48 GP in 2014-15, 2.73 GAA, .901 save percentage, four shutouts) and will have 18-year-old D Noah Juulsen, the Montreal Canadiens first-round pick 2015 (26th overall), in the lineup this weekend. Up front, 20-year-olds RW Carson Stadnyk and C Remi Laurencelle and 18-year-old RW Patrick Bajkov will be expected to take up the slack now that leading pointgetter Nikita Scherbak is off to the pros and 19-year-old Ivan Nikolishin has been traded to Red Deer.
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