Leclerc gets start as Blazers open in Chilliwack

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Opening night.
It never gets old, not even when you are about to begin your fifth season in the WHL.
Goaltender Justin Leclerc, 20, will be in goal for the Kamloops Blazers tonight as they meet the Bruins in Chilliwack.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Leclerc said when asked if he still gets excited for opening night. “I really dislike the whole training camp aspect as I think everyone does . . . it’s a lot of work for no points. But you get through it to play for something that matters and that’s (tonight).”
Leclerc, who will be backed up by Jon Groenheyde, will make his third straight opening-night start for the Blazers tonight. He opened the 2007-08 season with 26 saves in a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. Last season, Leclerc made 17 saves in a 2-1 loss to the visiting Bruins.
The difference this time is that Leclerc knows this is it. As a 20-year-old, he is into his last WHL season and that is something about which he has been thinking.
“I’m not guaranteed to play another year of hockey in my life,” the Saskatoon native said. “So it’s do or die and I don’t mean that in terms of a job, but in terms of putting your best foot forward.”
And then he laughs and adds: “Or your best last foot forward.”
Regardless, Leclerc said, he is focused on only one thing as the season begins. And that is winning.
“It’s all about winning,” said Leclerc, who was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Aug. 23, 2007, for a 2008 second-round bantam draft pick. “I’ve played on a lot of teams and at the end of the day I’ve played a ton of games . . . I’ve done everything except put together a season on a winning team.
“That’s where my head is at right now. That’s my goal this season.”
When Leclerc looks at what’s in front of him he sees a team with “a great offence.”
“That hasn’t changed since last season. We’ve gotten better if anything,” he said, adding that the “defence hasn’t change but everyone has gotten a year older. Our defence . . . .we really wanted to improve that. Our personnel hasn’t changed that much but being a year older and more experienced will help.”
Veteran winger Shayne Wiebe, who is about to begin his third season here, said that he looks at the roster and sees “great potential.”
“We have a lot of fire in the front end and the back end is looking pretty solid with a lot of returning guys,” said Wiebe, who scored 32 goals last season after netting nine as a freshman.
Wiebe, who had six points in an 8-3 exhibition victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars a week ago, said it’s time to start playing for real.
“Exhibition is good to get systems down and get new guys used to the style of play that we want to do,” he said. “Obviously it’s exciting . . . to get going.”
As the season begins, here’s a brief look at the Blazers:
GOALTENDERS
For the second straight season, it’s the firm of Leclerc and Groenheyde. And head coach Barry Smith is adamant that he will play whichever one has the hot hand. So if Leclerc is sharp tonight, he’ll go again Saturday. If not, hometown fans will see Groenheyde.
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DEFENCEMEN
Six of the eight defencemen on the roster — Josh Caron, Curtis Kulchar, Giffen Nyren, Linden Saip, Zak Stebner and Brandon Underwood — were part of the crew that gave up 277 goals last season, and only three teams were worse on defence. The Blazers also gave up an average of 34.4 shots per game; the Vancouver Giants, the measuring stick in these parts, allowed 22.7. Bronson Maschmeyer, a Sept. 3 acquisition from those Giants, makes the transition game a whole lot better and will run the power play. Tyler Hansen, a quiet 16-year-old, will play a bit and learn a lot.
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FORWARDS
Nine skaters return from the team that scored 242 goals last season, and that was the 10th-best total in the 22-team league. With RW Jimmy Bubnick, RW Tyler Shattock, C C.J. Stretch and Wiebe showing the way, that total likely will improve. But the forwards have to realize that defence is a team game and that success really does begin in your zone.
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SPECIAL TEAMS
Last season’s power play was fine, ranking eight in percentage (21.0) and fourth in goals scored (83).
But the penalty killing was a mess, thanks mainly to being overworked and outworked — it was 18th (76.9 per cent) as it faced a league-high 437 opposition power plays and allowed more goals (101) than anyone else. Those are ugly numbers and have to improve a whole lot for this team to compete for one of the top four spots in the Western Conference.
This is a team that, in short, loves to score. It has to learn that even more offensive success follows hard work and discipline.
Those are lessons the coaching staff has been trying to teach.
We will find out starting tonight if the students have been paying attention.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

SHATTOCK BRITE:
It will be all hands on deck (almost) tonight when the Kamloops Blazers open the WHL’s regular season by playing the Bruins in Chilliwack.
Right-winger Tyler Shattock, who has been in camp with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, is to fly into Vancouver today and meet the team in Chilliwack in time to play.
Shattock, who was named the Blazers’ captain during training camp, will slide onto the right side of line with left-winger Shayne Wiebe and centre C.J. Stretch. Those three veterans totaled 220 points, including 91 goals, last season.
The only players not available to the Blazers this weekend will be forwards Dalibor Bortnak (spleen) and Colin Smith (broken arm), both of whom are out indefinitely.