Upper states case for spot on Cats’roster
Tyson Upper caught Mark Lamb’s eye.
Fortunately for Upper and the Prince George Cougars, Lamb was on a talent hunt at the time.
It happened over the summer in Calgary while Lamb, the Cougars general manager, was watching a group of players scrimmage at Edge Academy, where the 16-year-old forward has been excelling in the school of hockey the past four years.
Lamb added Upper to the Cougars’ 50-player protected list and invited him to training camp and when he arrived, everybody watching among the Cougars’ brass couldn’t help but notice the kid. He played left wing on a line with seasoned WHLers Ilijah Colina and Josh Curtis and they emerged as one of the top lines in camp. His exceptional training camp earned Upper a seat on the bus with the Cougars on their first pre-season road trip last weekend and in his second game, against the Rockets in Kelowna, he had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 triumph.
If he hasn’t been told he’s made the team already, that day is coming. Upper is back in a WHL rink this weekend for game action in Langley, where the Cougars play the Giants tonight and the Victoria Royals Sunday afternoon.
“He came in here and he took advantage of an opportunity,” said Lamb. “He’s a real good skater, he’s got good hockey sense and he’s a late ’01 (birth year), which fits into a category we’re kind of weak at right now. He’s come in and won himself a job so far.
“That was a real good line (Upper-Colina-Curtis) and you could see he could play with those types of players. We put him on that line and we switched him off (Upper played with Arjun Atwal and Czech import Matej Toman in the preseason games) and he didn’t miss a beat. Hopefully he can keep it going.”
Upper also played in Kamloops a week ago, a 5-0 loss to the Blazers. He said it took time to get over the jitters playing against his first WHL opponents.
“It was like a dream come true, just playing in front of the fans and stepping on the ice for the first time,” said Upper. “You’ve got nerves for the warm-up and the first one or two shifts and then you step back into your game and realize it’s just a hockey game you’ve done thousands of times.
“The first game was a bit tough but I think I really picked it up the second game. I got to play with my speed a bit more and the team really clicked better. We got a good forecheck going and we got good structure in the D-zone and worked better as a team.”
Upper has adjusted well to his new surroundings, joining a Cougars’ squad that unloaded its veterans at the trade deadline last season and has been in rebuilding mode since the January trade deadline.
“I’m having so much fun here, it’s such a good organization,” he said. “Playing hockey every day here is so much fun and the guys are great. (Colina and Curtis) are smart hockey players and they play with speed so it’s really easy to play with them and we worked well together.
“When Mark told me he listed me I knew I had work to do coming into camp being a listed guy, first year. I had to show what I could do and I’m just glad it all worked out.”
Standing five-foot-10 and weighing 165 pounds, Upper has added some size since turning in a productive season last year with the Edge Academy midget prep team. He generated 11 goals and 29 points in 33 regular-season games, as well as three playoff points in four games.
“Playing hockey every day while focusing on school really helped my development and it was so crucial to get me ready for this level,” he said. “I’m a smart hockey player who can play with speed and I’m good at seeing the ice, so I’m good at making passes and plays.”
Upper can play any forward position and that adds to his value with the Cougars. He turns 17 on Dec. 23.
“I’ve always played guys older and stronger than me – a lot of people don’t like having a late birthday but I’m really happy I do because it made my development so much better up to this point,” he said.
“The coaches here are unbelievable, they help you with every detail. They want to make us better hockey players and they want to win. Our end goal is to win. If we don’t win, we’re going to know we went out there working hard. We’re going to be the hardest-working team this year.”
Upper was first listed by the Edmonton Oil Kings and they let him go. The Grande Prairie Storm owns his junior A rights.
The Cougars play the Hitmen in Calgary, Upper’s hometown, on Jan. 25, and he’s
He’s strong on his skates and he protects the puck very well. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, the future’s bright for him.
— Richard Matvichuk
got that day already circled on his calendar. Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk expects Upper will be there to play in front of his friends and family.
“He’s doing the right things – he’s a huge surprise for us and he’s a great kid, just the way he carries himself,” said Matvichuk. “The offensive ability and the way he skates and the way he sees the ice is really good for us. So far he’s deserved to be here and we’ll just keep evaluating as we go through.
“He can skate, there’s no doubt about it. He’s strong on his skates and he protects the puck very well. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, the future’s bright for him.”
The Cougars have 27 players still on the preseason roster, including NHL camp participants – defenceman Joel Lakusta (St. Louis Blues) and winger Jackson Leppard (Tampa Bay Lightning) – who left for their pro camps on Monday.
The Cougars host Kamloops in their only home exhibition game at CN Centre next Saturday. The Cats open the season in Victoria, Sept. 21-22. Their home opener is Sept. 28 against Kelowna.
• The Cougars announced Friday that Brett Connolly’s Stanley Cup celebration and the live and silent auctions of Washington Capitals gear Connolly brought to CN Centre for the event Aug. 20 raised $16,000 for a scholarship fund started by former Cougar captain Brock Hirsche.
The Brock Hirsche Memorial Pronghorn Hockey Award at the University of Lethbridge is a scholarship awarded annually to a Pronghorn men’s hockey player who displays leadership while promoting men’s health awareness.
Hirsche, a former teammate of Connolly’s who played four seasons with the Cougars, died in April at age 26 of testicular cancer. Hirsche skated for the Pronghorns for three seasons, from 2013-16, and was captain of the team in his final season.