Bender welcomes Gauthier

From The Daily News of Friday, Oct. 26, 2007 . . .

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
No one on the Kamloops Blazers’ roster was more thrilled than Ryan Bender when the WHL team acquired defenceman Mike Gauthier on Tuesday.
Which is one of the reasons Bender, a fifth-year defenceman and the team captain, was so quick to welcome the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Gauthier to practice Thursday at Interior Savings Centre.
Dean Clark, the Blazers’ general manager and head coach, dealt defenceman Ryan White, 20, and a 2009 fifth-round bantam draft pick to the Prince Albert Raiders for Gauthier, who led the WHL in penalty minutes last season.
“He obviously brings toughness and I think that’s what we were lacking throughout the room,” Bender said. “So that definitely helps.”
With a roster shy on size and toughness, Bender, who brings a bit of both to the game, had taken it upon himself to look after that aspect of the game. And the extra responsibility had become something of a burden.
“For sure,” said Bender, who leads his mates into action against the Kelowna Rockets tonight, 7 o’clock, at ISC. “Now I don’t have to go into games thinking, ‘What am I going to have to do tonight to get the team going?’ Especially . . . in our barn.”
To date, the Blazers (5-6-1-0) have been in 14 fights and four of those have featured Bender. He has 43 penalty minutes, and also has picked up two misconducts.
“I don’t mind dropping the mitts at all,” he said. “That’s not a big deal. But when I’m more focused about what I have to do in terms of fighting . . . that’s not my game. I don’t want to be in the (penalty) box all night either.”
Bender is most valuable to the Blazers when used in a shut-down role, usually against the opposition’s top line. That is a role he has grown into and one he loves playing.
And now with Gauthier in harness, he looks forward to what’s to come.
“We weren’t overly tough . . . not as tough as we’d like to be,” Bender said. “We want other teams, when they come in our barn, to be thinking, ‘Holy smokes! They’re a hard team to play against!’”
Which doesn’t mean fighting, fighting, fighting.
“No,” Bender said, “it’s not about fighting. It’s about overall team toughness.”
Having more toughness, Bender thinks, will allow the Blazers to play with more confidence, which will lead to more success.
“We’re improving. We’re definitely . . . from the first game to now . . . we definitely have seen improvement, so that’s inspiring for the team. And finally now we have a stretch of a few home games where, hopefully, we can get some confidence and go from there.
After tonight, the Blazers are home to the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, visit Kelowna on Tuesday and then entertain the Prince George Cougars (Nov. 2) and Red Deer Rebels (Nov. 6).
The acquisition of Gauthier also did one other thing, Bender said — it shrunk the comfort zone in the dressing room.
“We know that chances are there could be more trades,” Bender said. “You never know . . . that’s playing in the Western Hockey League. You never are really certain. There’s always another guy waiting and wanting to take your spot.
“That’s something everyone has to understand.”
JUST NOTES: Gauthier is expected to open tonight alongside veteran D Keaton Ellerby. . . . Ellerby learned yesterday that he will play for the WHL against a Russian team in an ADT Challenge game in Medicine Hat on Nov. 29. Complete WHL rosters are in Scoreboard. . . . For more on tonight’s game, see Scouting Report in Scoreboard. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers have acquired D Patrick Kozyra, 18, from the Spokane Chiefs for a 2008 fifth-round bantam pick. Kozyra, who played last season with the Red Deer Rebels, is form Sherwood Park, Alta.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca