Jake is up to the Trask

By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter
If Jake Trask keeps playing well, he might not go down in history as the
other guy from Saskatoon whom the Kamloops Blazers selected in the 2006 WHL
bantam draft.
Trask, a 17-year-old centre, has been, true to the Blazers’ nickname, on
fire. He has scored in three straight games and four of his last five.
He’ll look to continue his streak tonight, 7 o’clock, when the Chilliwack
Bruins are at Interior Savings Centre. Kamloops is home to the Prince George
Cougars on Wednesday — same time, same place.
Trask was the Blazers’ fourth selection, 61st overall, in the 2006 bantam
draft. A full 56 picks earlier, Kamloops had chosen Jimmy Bubnick, a highly
touted winger who also grew up in Saskatoon.
Two years later, Bubnick, who is in his second season, leads the Blazers and
is tied for eighth in the WHL with 10 goals. Trask hasn’t had the fanfare of
Bubnick, but has been coming along nicely and is contributing offensively.
“These last four or five games have been huge confidence boosters for me,”
said Trask, who had 68 points, 32 of them goals, for the midget AAA
Saskatoon Blazers last season. “I’ve been focusing on little things and
trying to do what I can. It’s paying off.
“I’m not doing anything special, I’m going to the net and trying to do what
I can.”
Trask picked up his first WHL point — an assist — in a 5-2 loss to the host
Everett Silvertips on Oct. 18. He has points in four of the ensuing six
games, including a one-goal, one-assist effort in a 5-2 victory over the
visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday.
“From the start of the season, I wouldn’t have expected to be where I am
now,” he said. “Everyday is getting better and I’m just trying to keep going
forward.”
Trask isn’t the only one who’s playing well — his linemates, Shayne Wiebe
and Tyler Shattock, can’t seem to do anything wrong these days either.
Shattock has three goals and two assists in his last three games, while
Wiebe has picked up a goal and four helpers.
“I think it’s all about confidence,” Trask offered. “We’ve been getting a
few and now we’re starting to click. We’ve been playing with each other the
last five or six games and we’re getting used to each other.”
Shattock has been playing well for a while — he has points in nine of his
last 10 games and has 17 points in 17 games. Wiebe has seven points in his
last four games and has 16 points this season, one off his total for all of
last season.
“We’re working as a line,” said Wiebe, who, like Shattock, is 18. “We’re
sticking to the system and being where we’re supposed to be. It’s easy to
play when we’re playing like that and working hard.”
JUST NOTES: F Dalibor Bortnak was hit in the face with a puck during
Monday’s practice, and needed five stitches to repair a cut. . . . He is not
expected to miss any time. . . . The Blazers are 8-9-0-2 and fifth in the
10-team Western Conference. . . . Chilliwack is 5-10-1-1 and eighth, while
Prince George (8-9-0-1) is tied for sixth. . . . The Regina Pats are looking
to move their Saturday game to avoid competing with the CFL’s Saskatchewan
Roughriders. . . . The Pats are scheduled to play host to the Swift Current
Broncos only a couple of hours after the Roughriders are to play host to the
B.C. Lions in the CFL’s Western Conference semifinal.