Scout
09-25-2008, 05:07 AM
By Jesse Watts
Last year, Dustin Tokarski enjoyed what most junior hockey players would consider a dream season.
The 18-year-old goaltender from Watson, SK, backstopped his team, the Spokane Chiefs, to a WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup championship – a tournament in which he was named MVP – and then heard his name called by the Tampa Bay Lightning on NHL draft day.
So, how do Tokarski and the Chiefs raise the bar on a season that was as close to perfect as one could imagine?
“The way I see it, last year was last year,” said Tokarski. “This year is a new start, so you have to put your past accomplishments aside. We are the defending Cup champs, and we have to find the mentality that got us there to begin with.
“We know teams will be gunning for us and playing their best against us every night, so we have to make sure we don’t rest on what happened in the past, continue to work hard, stay humble, and start over to try and make another run,” he said.
Despite the loss of some key veterans from last year’s team, the Chiefs return many of the players who played a part in the team’s championship run. Expectations are high that the Chiefs will again be a powerhouse in the WHL, and a strong contender to hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup in the spring.
Tokarski thinks the Chiefs have a strong enough team to be in contention. However, he also knows the competition in the U.S. Division and in the Western Conference will be incredibly tough, and nothing will come easy for the defending champs.
“There are some really good teams in the division and in the conference and obviously those games, particularly divisional games, are going to be important,” he said. “But, it can’t change the way we approach the games, and we still have to focus on how we play. We know it won’t be easy.”
Team success tends to breed personal success for players. Tokarski enjoyed tremendous success last season, posting some of the best numbers of any WHL goaltender. While he can feel satisfied with his own accomplishments last year, he knows there is plenty of room to get better.
“I had a really good season last year, and had a really good team in front of me to help,” said Tokarski, who posted 30 wins, six shutouts and a .922 save percentage last season. “My goal, though, is to get better as a goaltender, and help this team get back to the Memorial Cup.”
The long-term goal for Tokarski is to eventually reach the highest level in hockey and play in the NHL. He recently got a taste of what it’s like at the next level when he participated in the Traverse City prospects tournament with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It was a big deal to be able to put on an NHL jersey and get out there and play in a high-caliber tournament like (Traverse City),” said Tokarski, who got into two games at the tournament. “It’s the best prospect for each team that you’re going up against and everyone is trying to make an impression, so it’s very competitive.”
Tokarski said the whole experience was positive with the Lightning giving him plenty of feedback, helping him build more confidence coming back to the WHL.
“They said they liked my competitiveness, and the ability I’ve shown to help a team win big games,” he said. “They like the team that I’m coming back to, and they just want me to keep working hard and hopefully have more success this season.”
Scout
Last year, Dustin Tokarski enjoyed what most junior hockey players would consider a dream season.
The 18-year-old goaltender from Watson, SK, backstopped his team, the Spokane Chiefs, to a WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup championship – a tournament in which he was named MVP – and then heard his name called by the Tampa Bay Lightning on NHL draft day.
So, how do Tokarski and the Chiefs raise the bar on a season that was as close to perfect as one could imagine?
“The way I see it, last year was last year,” said Tokarski. “This year is a new start, so you have to put your past accomplishments aside. We are the defending Cup champs, and we have to find the mentality that got us there to begin with.
“We know teams will be gunning for us and playing their best against us every night, so we have to make sure we don’t rest on what happened in the past, continue to work hard, stay humble, and start over to try and make another run,” he said.
Despite the loss of some key veterans from last year’s team, the Chiefs return many of the players who played a part in the team’s championship run. Expectations are high that the Chiefs will again be a powerhouse in the WHL, and a strong contender to hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup in the spring.
Tokarski thinks the Chiefs have a strong enough team to be in contention. However, he also knows the competition in the U.S. Division and in the Western Conference will be incredibly tough, and nothing will come easy for the defending champs.
“There are some really good teams in the division and in the conference and obviously those games, particularly divisional games, are going to be important,” he said. “But, it can’t change the way we approach the games, and we still have to focus on how we play. We know it won’t be easy.”
Team success tends to breed personal success for players. Tokarski enjoyed tremendous success last season, posting some of the best numbers of any WHL goaltender. While he can feel satisfied with his own accomplishments last year, he knows there is plenty of room to get better.
“I had a really good season last year, and had a really good team in front of me to help,” said Tokarski, who posted 30 wins, six shutouts and a .922 save percentage last season. “My goal, though, is to get better as a goaltender, and help this team get back to the Memorial Cup.”
The long-term goal for Tokarski is to eventually reach the highest level in hockey and play in the NHL. He recently got a taste of what it’s like at the next level when he participated in the Traverse City prospects tournament with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It was a big deal to be able to put on an NHL jersey and get out there and play in a high-caliber tournament like (Traverse City),” said Tokarski, who got into two games at the tournament. “It’s the best prospect for each team that you’re going up against and everyone is trying to make an impression, so it’s very competitive.”
Tokarski said the whole experience was positive with the Lightning giving him plenty of feedback, helping him build more confidence coming back to the WHL.
“They said they liked my competitiveness, and the ability I’ve shown to help a team win big games,” he said. “They like the team that I’m coming back to, and they just want me to keep working hard and hopefully have more success this season.”
Scout