Keith McInnis excited to suit up for hometown Rebels in home opener

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McInnis remembers watching former Rebels defenceman Matthew Dumba lay a few open-ice body checks or former Rebels captain Reese Johnson scoring a few goals.

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Coincidentally, he skated with Johnson this past summer and learned a thing or two from the Toronto Marlies forward.

This Friday at 7 p.m. against the Edmonton Oil Kings, he’ll look to put his skills in action in his first Western Hockey League game. He played the last two seasons with the BCHL’s Brooks Bandits, winning the league title last spring.

“I can’t wait to get on the ice,” he added. “I think it’ll be a blast with all of my family and friends in attendance. It’ll be awesome and I’m pumped.”

McInnis was actually drafted by the Rebels in the fifth round, 91st overall of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.

However, he had a desire to play in the NCAA some day, which at the time, could not happen if you played in the WHL. However, the new NCAA eligibility rules that changed earlier this year, allowed McInnis to do both. He’s committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs where he’ll play Division I hockey.

“To have Brent and the staff want me here was an offer I couldn’t turn down… Ever since then, it’s been a blast.”

Rebels head coach Marc Habscheid said his team is a work in progress but has been pleased with the steps taken so far.

“We are here to win. It’s a win-based business for sure but having said that, there’s steps moving forward… I liked the fact, especially the last two games, not only the games but in the practices in how they did things,” the Rebels bench boss said.

He expects his team to play the same way they did when they entered the WHL in 1992, with speed and grit. Although, he’d like to see them add more speed, puck movement, and creativity to their game.

“Their creativity has to be within structure as well. It’s not just here’s the puck, go play. There has to be a thought process behind that. Most of all, it’s a hockey game and we want our guys to love coming to the rink, enjoying their teammates and playing together,” he said.

Following the home opener on Friday, the Rebels will have a rematch with the Oil Kings on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rogers Place.

“We’re not here to put in time, we’re here to compete and win championships and that’s what we’re all about,” Habscheid added. “It’s a good team to measure against but we’re not coming in to participate. We’re here to win.”

The Rebels released their opening night roster earlier this week, which did not include Matthew Gard and Luke Vlooswyk, who are away at an NHL camp with the Philadelphia Flyers, Jaxon Fuder with the Dallas Stars, and goaltender Chase Wutzke with the Minnesota Wild. They are expected to join the team at a later date.

You can listen to all Rebels games on 1067rewindradio.ca.