(Red Deer Rebels/X)

By Ian Gustafson

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Podcast: Rebels 2025 first-rounder Nolan Wolitski savouring first training camp experience

Aug 29, 2025 | 6:43 AM

Your first Western Hockey League training camp is often a memorable one.

It’s the first time you get to step on the ice with the big club, meet new friends, and develop chemistry with future teammates.

It’s also an opportunity to make a good first impression on the coaching staff and management.

But for Red Deer Rebels defenceman Nolan Wolitski, he took it one stride at a time on day one of on-ice sessions at training camp.

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“I had to get the nerves out the first few minutes and then after that I felt good about myself,” he said. “It’s just been good meeting a bunch of new kids from all over western Canada and the States. Just making new friends and working hard on the ice, it’s been good.”

The 15-year-old, who played last season for the Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep Team of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, got his first taste of what the next level could be like.

That usually means a faster pace of hockey and certainly more physicality.

“It’s a lot faster pace. It took a bit to get used to, but I think I’m hanging on,” he added.

Standing at approximately six-feet three-inches tall and over 180 pounds, Wolitski may be big enough for the WHL, but he’ll have to wait at least a year before he can make the jump to major junior hockey.

He plans to suit up for the Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep Team and try to build on his 2024-25 campaign where he contributed 48 points, 40 of which were assists, in 29 games.

For now, he hopes to showcase his best qualities to the Rebels.

“I just want to show them that I’m a physical player that can move up to that level very fast, can join the rush, and be a two-way defenceman,” he said adding leadership and on-ice awareness are some of his strengths.

Throughout the offseason, he worked on his skills, more specifically his skating and puck-handling. He said that’s something he hopes to improve on heading into the upcoming season.

Earlier this summer, the Rebels bolstered their blue line by selecting him seventh overall in the first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

He took in the experience from home with his family, saying it was an awesome experience being selected by such a historic franchise.

“They were all happy for me. It was great just to see everyone showing their pride for me,” he added.

Wolitski started playing the game because of his two older brothers, Connor and Kaden, he shared.

Kaden, the oldest brother, hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season, where he finished his career at the U18 AAA level in Nashville.

Meantime, Connor, 18, is set to play his first season in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) with the Chippewa Steel. He played the last two seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Drayton Valley Thunder.

“They were very hard on me which is why I think I’ve had so much success.”

Wolitski is a dual citizen in Canada and the U.S., now living in St. Albert but originally from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Growing up in Raleigh, Wolitzki got to know Carolina Hurricanes all-star defenceman Jaccob Slavin, who became a family friend.

Slavin was new to town at the time and as a Hurricanes fan, Wolitski was thrilled. He even took care of his dogs for him while Slavin was on the road.

They would also spend weekends together out at nearby lakes. Wolitski quickly found out Slavin wasn’t just good at hockey, but also an avid ping pong player.

“We had a lot of ping pong tournaments,” Wolitski said.

And did the youngster ever come out on top against the Canes veteran leader?

“No,” Wolitski laughed.