Saip working to crack Blazers' roster

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Defenceman Linden Saip was looking for a change. The Kamloops Blazers are
looking to change up their defence.
This just might be a marriage made in WHL heaven.
The Blazers opened training camp Friday morning at Interior Saving Centre
and Saip, a 17-year-old from Delta, is in one of the veteran groups.
An eighth-round selection by Vancouver in the WHL’s 2006 bantam draft, Saip
got into six games with the Giants last season, recording one assist and
finishing plus-3.
“He had a really good camp with us,” offered Kamloops general manager Craig
Bonner, who was on the Giants’ coaching staff last season. “He was one of
the big surprises. We kept him through the exhibition season and
contemplated keeping him for the season.
“But we decided to send him to midget for his development.”
Saip went to the major midget Vancouver Canadians, where he had 24 points —
tops among their defencemen — and 110 penalty minutes. Of his nine goals,
seven came via the power play.
“I’m physical,” the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Saip said Friday following a late
afternoon on-ice session. “I can do a bit of everything. Offensively, I’m
pretty good . . . they can rely on me defensively to stay at home.”
While Saip’s season went well last winter, all was not smooth sailing. And
that resulted him looking for somewhere else to play.
“It was kind of a hard time for me,” Saip said. “I was going through some
stuff . . . family and personal . . . there were some problems. I thought
it would be best if I got out of Vancouver and went somewhere else to play
hockey . . . get past all the problems so I can focus on just hockey.
“I talked to Craig and ended up here. It turned out for the best.”
The Blazers gave up a conditional 2009 bantam draft pick in return for Saip,
who was named after former Vancouver Canucks centre Trevor Linden.
And while Saip no longer is with the Giants, there still is a connection.
His uncle, Dale, is the Giants’ director of business development. Dale and
Linden’s father, Grant, are the youngster’s biggest boosters.
“We’re really close,” Linden said of his relationship with his uncle, who at
one time after the ownership change was close to joining the Blazers in a
front-office position. “He calls me about once a week to see how things are
doing.
“He was up here playing golf and said it’s a great town.”
Saip also goes back a long ways with the Blazers’ GM.
“I’ve known him a long time and I think he can play,” Bonner said. “I think
he’s got a real good shot at making our roster.”
The Blazers’ roster includes four veteran defencemen — Nick Ross, Jordan
Rowley, Mark Schneider and Kurt Tobohm. Ross, a first-round selection by the
Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2007 draft, was acquired from the Regina Pats
in January. Rowley, 18, has been through two WHL seasons but, like many of
his teammates, didn’t enjoy a stellar 2007-08. Schneider and Torbohm
combined to play in 69 games last season.
What this means is that there are more vacancies on the Blazers’ defence
than in the Bates Motel.
Saip said he is especially looking forward to learning under head coach
Barry Smith — Saip referred to him as a “pro head coach” — and assistants
Scott Ferguson and Geoff Smith, both of whom are former WHL defencemen with
ample NHL playing experience.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Saip said. “It’s non-stop advice. I’m
going to learn many things . . . it’s going to be a real learning season.”
Saip and all the other players got their first real taste of Barry Smith
yesterday. And the new coach let it be known that he means business.
“It’s been a week or or two since I’ve been on ice,” Saip said. “That was a
hard practice, one of the toughest I’ve had.”
He agreed that Smith has a message and that he is going to get it across
early in camp. “This is a hard-working team,” Saip said of that message,
“and it’s going to be for the entire season.”
Saip did enough that Smith at least noticed him.
“He was all right,” Smith said. “But they’re all here trying to figure out
what my work ethic is. Guys are nervous. And I tend to bark a little bit.
“Things will get more relaxed after every day.”
JUST NOTES: One thing Smith is particular about is punctuality — 4 o’clock
means 4 o’clock. When Team Black was on the ice a few minutes early, he sent
the players to the benches, then stood at centre ice and watched the clock
tick down. The session started right at 4 p.m. . . . Slovakian C Dalibor
Bortnak isn’t skating with the Blazers, who are awaiting his release from
his club team. “It’s nothing that is preceived to be an issue,” Bonner said,
adding that he spoke to Bortnak’s agents in Slovakia and “there aren’t any
issues as far as they’re concerned.” . . . The Blazers will have four
players off their roster going to pro camps — Ross (Phoenix), RW Brady Calla
(Florida Panthers), C Scott Wasden (Minnesota Wild) and RW Tyler Shattock
(San Jose). Ross and Calla are signed draft picks; Wasden and Shattock will
attend pro camps on a tryout basis.