(Red Deer Minor Hockey)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

high hopes

U18AAA Optimist Chiefs vying for strong bounceback season

Oct 13, 2023 | 11:31 AM

The U18AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs drop the puck on their home opener for 2023-24 AEHL season tonight, in hopes that it goes considerably better than last year when they finished 13-19-0-3-3, good for second last in the eight-team South Division.

The club has already played four games (1-2-0-1) and will host the Calgary Royals in their home opener at Servus Arena. Puck drop is at 8 p.m., following a special ceremony at 7:45 to publicly celebrate the team’s and Red Deer Minor Hockey’s new logo.

You can read more about that change in our story from Oct. 11: Red Deer Minor Hockey alters ‘Chiefs’ logo in, “great act of reconciliation,” Chief says

Head Coach Tyler Lightbown believes the team will be exciting to watch.

“We have a ton of young talent. There may be some growing pains because playing at this level and pace is difficult, there’s a lot of structure, and we may have to win some high-scoring games, but we’re cautiously optimistic,” says Lightbown.

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“This league is hard to win in, every weekend is a battle, but they’re learning a lot right now. We’ve had an okay start, and we see a really high ceiling for this group. I think over the next three to four weeks, we’re going to take some strides and be seen as a contender by Christmas.”

Good attitude and work ethic are also pivotal for this squad, and Lightbown says his players have those things in spades.

He says tight one-goal games were their downfall last year, so they’re hyper-focused on not giving away points.

“They all want to do what it takes to win, especially our captain, 17-year-old Cooper Moore. He’s highly-skilled offensively, and a smaller player but one of the smartest I’ve ever coached. He makes everyone around him better. Then there’s Jaxen Smyth, who’s returning after attending Kelowna’s WHL camp. We’re expecting big things from him. And starting in net we’ve got Connor Baumbach who’s also returning, which is actually a hard thing to come by.”

The roster includes five 15-year-olds, which Lightbown notes is unusual, but, “the talent level is phenomenal,” he adds.

They include Tucker Tullikopf, Kohen Lodge, Nash Nicolay, Easton Daneault and Dermot Johnston. Johnston, a d-man from Olds, will be representing Alberta at the upcoming WHL Cup in Red Deer, Lightbown mentioned.

The team also incudes Dylan Spackman, 17, rounding out the goaltending tandem, a graduate of the U17AAA North Star Chiefs last season.

“Dylan and Connor (Baumbach) have an awesome work ethic, which is what you want from your two goaltenders so they can push each other. It’s such a specialized position that you have to make sure there’s healthy competition.”

In addition to their on-ice exploits, the Optimist Chiefs will be involved in the community, including at senior’s homes and the food bank. They’ll also have younger teams in to tour the locker room, and spend time observing practice, hoping to be good role models.

Lightbown, who’s in his 14th year coaching and fourth with the Chiefs, also touched on the recent retreat players and staff went on to DH Ranch near Calgary where they received Indigenous education from Brent Dodginghorse, a former member of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.

On the subject of the logo change, Lightbown says his guys have very much embraced it.

“We’ve explained to them why we’re changing it, but also why it was important to keep it,” he says. “With Brent, we went through a lot of history. We’re trying to really educate the boys, because as a team at the highest level, it’s important to do so.”

Tickets to Friday night’s home opener are available at the door.