Willingness to work puts Kelowna Rockets forward on right pro path
Rockets’ forward had ties to bus crash victims
Kole Lind doesn’t have to look far for motivation and perspective.
The Vancouver Canucks’ prime prospect received a sobering crash course in professional preparation when the winger played six games last spring for the Utica Comets. It came after another stellar season with the Kelowna Rockets and his AHL debut was a day before the hockey world was rocked April 6.
The tragic bus crash that claimed the lives of 16 people — players and personnel of the Humboldt Broncos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League — hit home hard for the Shaunavon, Sask., native. Lind played with and against two of the deceased — captain Logan Schatz and Evan Thomas — and also had a hockey association with survivors Xavier LaBelle and Kaleb Dahlgren.
Lind grew up knowing and playing against Thomas and played in a summer rec league against Schatz. He was midget teammates with LaBelle in Saskatoon and also played against Dahlgren growing up.
“I had a decent connection with all of them,” the 19-year-old Lind recalled Monday at the Canucks’ development camp. “It was very tough for me, but I was very proud of how everyone came together and raised $15 million for the families. Money can’t bring anyone back and there no words to describe (the loss).
“Everyone has heavy hearts, but that was an eye-opener for a lot of hockey players and you have to play every game like it’s your last. You never know what’s going to happen. I still play for those guys every day and have some of their initials on my stick.
“It’s something I’ll keep in the back of my mind for the rest of my career. It will help me push through any adversity I have.”
Lind hasn’t had much adversity since being a second-round 2017 draft selection. Just a bout with mononucleosis and a Team Canada snub, but he overcame the obstacles by doing what he does best — playing hard and scoring a lot.
Blessed with a head for the game and a hard and accurate release, he has rocketed up the prospects ladder.
Lind turns 20 in October and after producing 95 points (39 goals, 56 assists) in 58 games last season in the WHL, he’s on the right pro path because of a willingness to do the work.
A wake-up call in Utica didn’t hurt because he looks thicker and bigger.
“I’ve committed a lot to being more powerful and it’s starting to show on the ice,” said Lind. “I don’t think you can really prepare until you get there (AHL). It’s a faster game and a huge step for me. There are things I have to fix in my game and that didn’t come much in the minors. I have to push the pace as much as I can.”
Training in Saskatoon with a Canucks trainer and living with his former midget hockey billet Rich Pilon helps.
So does understanding the swagger he had in junior can be erased easily in the pros.
“The little things you can get away with in junior, in the AHL they’re twice the player I am now,” he admitted. “I almost found myself getting pushed around a little bit. That was an eye-opener for me.”
“The great thing for Kole is the experience he had coming into Utica,” said Canucks director of player development and Comets general manager Ryan Johnson. “You can harp to people how difficult that step is and he got to live it and taste it. It changed his perception of what he really needed to do to get ready for the next step.”