Stretch having his best season

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Grandpa, tell me about the good old days.
When those days arrive, when C.J. Stretch has a grandchild, the California
native knows that there will be good old days about which to talk. He just
hopes that he will be able to include something about his playing days with
the Kamloops Blazers.
Stretch, at 19, is the granddaddy of this WHL team. No, he isn’t the oldest
player on the roster, but he is the longest-serving of the Blazers.
Which means, as he says, “I’ve been through pretty much everything here.”
He has seen changes at virtually every level of this organization, including
ownership, and attendance that has gone from averaging 4,862 per game in his
first season to the 4,164 of this season.
In his first season, 2005-06, the Blazers went 34-33-2-3 but failed to
qualify for the playoffs, the first and only time that has happened in
franchise history.
In 2006-07, the promise of a 40-victory regular season (40-26-4-2) was
followed by a four-game first-round sweep at the hands of the Prince George
Cougars. Stretch may get some consolation from the fact that he was easily
the best of the Blazers in the four games, as he recorded eight points.
That was followed by last season, one in which the Blazers finished
27-41-2-2 and bowed out of the playoffs, again, in four games, this time at
the hands of the Tri-City Americans.
Still, Stretch has managed to keep on smiling.
“Yes,” he admits, the lack of success stings and burns in his belly. But, he
adds, “We’ll do unbelievably good this season. I have a feeling we’re going
to keep on doing good.”
A native of Irvine, Stretch is in his fourth season here and, individually,
is enjoying the best season of his career.
He goes into tonight’s game against the Swift Current Broncos (Interior
Savings Centre, 7 p.m.) leading the Blazers in assists (30) and points (41).
He has 26 points over his last 18 games and is tied for 11th in the WHL
scoring race.
He already has surpassed career highs in assists (26) and points (36) from
2006-07. And he has equalled his career high in goals (11) from last season.
Ask him to explain why this season has been so much better than last, at
least in terms of his play, and his wheels spin.
“I came just as prepared as last season,” he says. “A couple of bounces . .
. I don’t know. I think I came prepared. I think I was good.”
Pause.
“Things started going better (this season),” he concludes.
He adds that he has received a lot of help from freshman head coach Barry
Smith, who came here after being on the staff of the NHL’s Vancouver
Canucks.
“Barry’s helping me out, teaching me little things . . . but I can’t do it
without my linemates,” Stretch says. Still, under this coaching staff, the
linemates are forever changing.
“That’s true . . . I don’t know,” he says, before adding “confidence plays
(a part) with it.”
Having two assistant coaches, Scott Ferguson and Geoff Smith, who have
played in the NHL also helps. Both were defencemen and spend a lot of time
with the Blazers blue-liners, but Stretch says they have time for the
forwards, too.
“We do (work with them),” Stretch says of the forwards. “They help you out.
You’re a forward, they’re d-men; they teach you things d-men do.”
The bottom line, however, may have more to do with familiarity than with
anything else.
Stretch thinks that familiarity has played a large part in the numbers he is
putting up this season. His personality isn’t terribly outgoing, so knowing
his comfort zone is important.
“That’s one of the biggest things,” he confesses. “I’ve been in the league
three years, this is my fourth. I figured out how to play the fame, finally.
I have.”
Not only is he comfortable in the WHL, he is comfortable in our city. So
comfortable, in fact, that he can see himself coming back for his
20-year-old season.
“I think so,” he says. “I like Kamloops. I’ve been here forever. I would
like to stay here. I love the city.”
Just don’t ask him if he can see himself living here once he is through
playing hockey.
“I don’t know. That’s a hard question . . . I’m from California,” he says
with a grin. “I do like Kamloops a lot. There is an option. They’re two
different places and I like them both.”
JUST NOTES: Kamloops C Mark Hall, who has missed the entire season,
underwent a second surgical procedure on his right knee Thursday. He was
injured Aug. 29 and underwent surgery to repair his right anterior cruciate
ligament Sept. 23. Blazers GM Craig Bonner said he expects Hall, 18, to be
ready for the start of training camp prior to next season. . . .
Tonight’s game is the Blazers’ last home appearance until after the
Christmas break. Kamloops will meet the Cougars in Prince George on
Wednesday and then won’t play until Dec. 27 when it takes on the Rockets in
Kelowna. The Blazers’ next home game is Dec. 28 against Prince George. . . .
The Blazers are holding their second Blueliner Breakfast of the season
Sunday at the Sports Action Lounge. It begins at 8:30 a.m. Then, from 12:45
p.m. to 1:45 p.m., fans may take part in Skate with the Blazers at Interior
Savings Centre.