(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

playing to win

“From top to bottom,” 2023-24 Rebels squad ready to go as pre-season looms

Sep 7, 2023 | 4:27 PM

The Red Deer Rebels have some goals to accomplish this pre-season, ahead of attempting to defend their Central Division crown and improve upon a heartbreaking second round playoff defeat last season.

On Thursday, Head Coach Derrick Walser and the returning Ollie Josephson spoke to media, just a couple hours after the club released its pre-season roster, which is as follows:

FORWARDS (20)

Craig Armstrong (’03)
Carson Birnie (’05)
Talon Brigley (’05)
Escalus Burlock (’05)
Samuel Drancak (’06)
Frantisek Formanek (’04)
Matthew Gard (’07)
Levi Green (’05)
Beckett Hamilton (’08)
Dwayne Jean Jr. (’04)
Ollie Josephson (’06)
Jhett Larson (’04)
Carson Latimer (’03)
Kalan Lind (’05)
Jeramiah Roberts (’06)
Evan Smith (’06)
Zane Saab (’06)
Steven Steranka (’07)
Tucker Tullikopf (’08)
Kai Uchacz (’03)

DEFENCE (11)

Ending hunger

Canadian Foodgrains Bank highlights work at event in Red Deer

1h ago

input from all is welcome

Central Alberta business owners sought for growth initiative

2h ago

Picketing begins

Canada Post workers in Red Deer join national job action

3h ago

Nick Andrusiak (’04)
Quentin Bourne (’06)
Elias Carmichael (’03)
Tate Dolinsky (’07)
Matteo Fabrizi (’05)
Mats Lindgren (’04)
Hunter Mayo (’04)
Jake Missura (’08)
Derek Thurston (’06)
Luke Vlooswyk (’07)
Jace Weir (’04)

GOALTENDERS (3)

Kyle Kelsey (’04)
Rhett Stoesser (’05)*
*Not expected to play during the pre-season as he continues to work his way back from a lower-body injury suffered in February.
Taylor Tabashniuk (’07)
Chase Wutzke (’06)

Coach Walser was asked off the hop what the main objectives are over the course of four pre-season matchups.

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“We want to win every game. We dont play to just play, we want to win. The main focus for me is stuff we’ve worked on the last week and a half, and coming together. These games may not mean a lot to some players, but it means a lot to me. Secondly, when you start getting video showing them doing things, it speeds up the process,” says Walser, then asked what his group’s strengths and weaknesses are.

“I think we’re solid all the way from top to bottom. Everyone talks about scoring goals, but we’ll figure that out as we find combos. I think we’ll be a solid team.”

Walser is inheriting a team, albeit with some changes, that won the Central Division last season by 14 points, but he isn’t necessarily looking too far down the line.

“Ya know what, I don’t want to take on that challenge [yet]. I know I want to compete for the title and the division, but right now I just want to focus on what we’re working on,” he says. “The league gets faster [as the season goes on]. I just want to get off to a good start.”

Matching last season’s start will be difficult, to say the least. The Rebels broke club and WHL records a year ago en route to a 15-game win streak that got the campaign going.

Nonetheless, the group will certainly be focused with their eyes on the prize each night, says Josephson (2006), who tallied five goals and 14 assists in 63 games during his first WHL season.

“We’ve had a lot of fun these last couple days at camp, we’ve been working hard and I’m looking forward to the season. Usually in the summer you play no games, it’s a lot of time away, and it can cause bad habits early on. But having gone to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which was a great experience, it helped me a lot and I was fortunate to have a big role. It’ll help me a lot this year [getting started],” says Josephson, who came home with a gold medal from the tournament in Europe.

“Oh, definitely,” Josephson remarks, asked if the team is capable of claiming another division title. “We’ve got a great team coming back, both veterans and rookies, and I’m really excited,” he says. “I think we can do what we did last year and more, and go further in the playoffs. Our goal is to win a championship here.”

On his new head coach, Josephson adds, “He likes people who work hard, which everyone here does. I think we’ve all embraced that.”

That bodes well in terms of Walser having plenty of great options to select for the team’s 2023-24 leadership group.

Last year’s captain, 20-year-old Jayden Grubbe, signed with the Edmonton Oilers this offseason, potentially leaving the Rebels without someone wearing the ‘C,’ that is if Grubbe doesn’t return for a final WHL season.

He could return, in which case he’d remain captain.

“Personally, I have a guy in mind, but I don’t think it’s the right time just yet to announce it. I want to see other guys though because it’s not always about your captain; it’s your assistants too, because their job is to help the captain. It’s not just about having a letter,” Walser said. “We have a guy in mind, but I want to see a leadership group [step up]. We’ve narrowed it down, but we’ve got to see what happens over the next couple weeks.”

The Rebels begin their 2023-24 WHL Pre-season this Friday, Sept. 8 when they visit the Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m. at Siksika Deerfoot Sportsplex). The Rebels host the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Peavey Mart Centrium for pre-season action this Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets for this game will be available at the door at the Tickets Alberta box office at the Peavey Mart Centrium (Adults: $10, Youth: $5). Season Tickets for the 2023-24 WHL Regular Season are still available. Visit reddeerrebels.com or call 403-341-6000 to learn more.