It's a clear case of the rich getting richer.
The Cariboo Cougars, already one of the most potent offensive teams in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League, will have Ty Kolle back in their lineup when they take on the Okanagan Rockets this afternoon in Kelowna.
Kolle, a five-foot-eight, 175-pound centreman from Quesnel, has been returned to the Cougars by the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks. A high-scoring member of the Cats in 2015-16, he had appeared in six preseason games and 13 regular-season contests with the Hawks but was sent back to the major-midget level so he could further develop his game.
"Portland just wanted him to have more playing time and to build some confidence - handle the puck a little bit more than what he was up there," said Cougars head coach and general manager Trevor Sprague. "Obviously he's a guy that's going to get more than five shifts a game at our level."
As a 15-year-old with the Cariboo club last season, Kolle contributed 11 goals and 29 points in 40 games. In the regular-season action he saw with the Winterhawks, he had three assists, all of them in his first game. In that Sept. 25 contest, a 7-3 win against the visiting Tri-City Americans, he picked up primary helpers on goals by Henri Jokiharju and Skylar McKenzie and a secondary assist on McKenzie's second of the night. For Kolle's dazzling debut, he was chosen third star of the game.
Kolle rejoins a Cariboo team that has fired 83 goals in 18 outings (average of 4.6 per game) and sits in first place with a 16-1-1-0 record. During a Thursday practice, he skated on a line with Daine DuBois and Mason Richey - the Cougars' two highest-scoring players - and the trio showed some instant chemistry.
"We clicked pretty well in practice the other day and I'm excited to see what's going to happen this weekend," Kolle said on Friday, while on the trip south.
Kolle called his time with the Winterhawks "awesome" but said he's "really excited" to be back with the Cougars, who are gearing up for two major tournaments - the Mac's in Calgary during the Christmas break and the Telus Cup nationals, which they will host in April.
"That's the biggest tournament in all of Canada," he said of the Telus Cup. "It's going to be an honour to play in that and host it."
In the WHL, Kolle said he learned about playing the game at a faster pace, something he hopes will benefit him as he transitions back to major-midget hockey.
"Hopefully that transfers over and helps me use my vision and speed better," he said.
To make space for Kolle on the roster, the Cougars sent 16-year-old forward Craig Macdonald to the city's midget Tier 1 club, Coast Inn of the North.
"Craig, first and foremost, is a great teammate (and has) great support from (his) mom and dad," Sprague said. "Every game, he came to work hard. His contributions on our penalty-kill were outstanding and his work ethic in all three zones made us very strong. He's a guy that has great leadership qualities and a guy that I would suspect will be in our lineup for the whole season next year and be one of our captains."
Kolle's arrival is well-timed because the Cougars will be trying to beat a very good Rockets team. The Okanagan club, with a mark of 14-3-0-1, sits four points behind the Cats, in second place in the 11-team BCHMML.
"You've got two teams with a lot of speed and a lot of firepower so the team that's going to look after their end the best is the team that's going to win," Sprague said. "I think special teams is going to be a big key - our power play has to be banging. It needs to be putting pucks in the net. When you've got two good hockey teams like ours, scoring opportunities will probably be a little bit slim but you've got to bury the ones you get."
The Cougars and Rockets will also play on Sunday at 10 a.m.
