The 2011 Alberta Cup will have a distinct Okotoks flavour.
Four Bantam AAA Oilers including Mike Conrad (Chestermere), Connor Bleackley (High River), Markson Bechtold (Strathmore) and Okotokian Matt Forchuk were selected to the South Senators.
The Senators are one of eight zone teams that will compete for the Hockey Alberta crown in Lethbridge April 14-17.
“They’re all incredibly deserving of it,” Oilers coach Michael Bara said.
Bleackley and Bechtold’s selections were hardly a surprise considering the havoc they wrecked on the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL) this season.
Bleackley led the Oilers in scoring with 36 goals and 32 assists in 29 games.
Bechtold rebounded after a slow start to score 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in 31 games with Okotoks.
“Once he (adjusted), he became an elite player in this league,” Bara said.
Perhaps more surprising was the selection of Forchuk.
The Okotoks-native compiled five goals and 12 points in 33 games this season. However, statistics don’t tell the whole story.
Bara said he was not surprised to see Forchuk earn a spot among the best Bantam players in Alberta.
“Some people might find Matt Forchuk as a bit of surprise but… he had a really, really good season for us,” he said. “His puck possession and his control of the play are phenomenal.”
The second-year centre is a strong candidate to play at the Midget-15 level next season after carving out an important role on this year’s Oilers squad.
Centering the third line behind Bleackley and Bechtold, the 14-year-old forward was a consistent performer who was always on the puck.
“He was really one of those kids that we never worried about all year,” Bara said. “It’s not a surprise to me that (he) showed up to the Alberta Cup tryouts and those coaches saw the same thing.”
For his part, Forchuk said he was surprised he was named to the squad because initially he was pleased just to be selected for the tryout.
“I just was expecting to have a hard-working tryout and do my best,” Forchuk said. “I was really surprised.”
Of the 63 forwards who tried out for the team, only 12 were selected to go to Lethbridge.
Forchuk credited the Oilers’ coaching staff for their dedication and drive to develop players for his success this season.
“They pushed us and helped us through and gave us all the motivation we needed,” he said.
Oilers goaltender Mike Conrad also made the cut beating out 17 other netminders from across the South zone.
Bara described his keeper as a “raw, athletic” goaltender who will never give up on a play.
“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a goaltender that competes as hard as Mike,” he said.
“I can really rely on him to make a nice save,” Forchuk added.
Conrad earned the nickname “Rubber Legs” earlier in the season after an amazing leg save against the Northwest Broncs.
It was those kind of saves which earned Conrad his reputation as a game changer at the Bantam level.
With only 160 spots available to Bantam players across the province, the Oilers representatives’ trip to the Alberta Cup will be huge boost to their confidence, said Bara.
“A lot of kids are going to carry that confidence forward. They’re going to believe in themselves,” he explained.
Despite sending four players to the U-16 tournament, the season was a difficult one for the Oilers program.
The team had a record of 8-22-3 in AMBHL league play and finished last in the Challenger South division behind several of the powerful Calgary representatives.
With fewer players to draw from in the Foothills, Bara stressed the Oilers aren’t solely focused on wins and losses.
Instead, he took joy in the success of Oilers alums like Calgary Hitmen defenceman Keaton Lubin and Saskatoon Blades rookie Levi Bews who have carved out a niche at the Western Hockey League level.
Develop players and preparing them for the next level is what the program should be known for, Bara said.
“It really shows that they care about the development of the players. It’s not just wins and losses,” he pointed out. “(The success of alumni) is such a huge boost for a program that doesn’t win a lot of games.”
The Alberta Cup will be a final showcase for players eligible for the WHL Bantam Draft taking place in Calgary on May 5.
The Oilers’ history of developing Major Junior players is expected to continue at this year’s draft. Bleackley and Bechtold are both expected to be chosen within the first three rounds.
Bara has already fielded calls from scouts about both players.
With Bleackley pegged to go in the first round, the Oilers coach wasn’t shy about what kind of player the team that selects him will be getting.
“Whoever gets him is going to get an absolute gem,” he said.
The same goes for Bechtold who is also generating interest from around the WHL.
