Scout
11-19-2008, 06:10 PM
Catching Up With...Stefan Elliott
The Saskatoon Blades have been one of the best teams in the WHL through the early part of the 2008-09 season and, as a result, are enjoying life at the top of the East Division standings.
After two consecutive seasons without playoff hockey, the Blades have served notice that they not only intend to be there when the 2009 post-season begins, but keep their season going well into the spring.
A big factor in the Blades’ turnaround has been the contributions of sophomore defenseman Stefan Elliott.
The 17-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., arrived in Saskatoon with high expectations, considering he was the return from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for current NHLer Devin Setoguchi in a 2006 trade. Potting nine goals and 40 points as a 16-year-old rookie in 2007-08, Elliott has so far delivered on those lofty expectations.
A smooth skater, Elliott is an offensively gifted defenseman who can move the puck well, make plays, and create scoring chances with his strong hockey sense and vision. Yet, with a 6’ 1”, 184-lb frame and quick stick, Elliott is also very responsible in his own end.
Eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Elliott has already opened the eyes of many pro scouts, and has been ranked fifth among the WHL’s draft-eligible skaters by NHL Central Scouting in their fall preliminary rankings.
As one of several young and emerging talents on the Blades, Elliott will no doubt be a key performer if the Blades are to establish themselves as the team to beat in the East Division.
Catching Up With…Stefan Elliott
On the Blades’ season, to date…
“We had a bit of a slow start to the year, and struggled in the first couple weeks, but we’ve been playing really well since then. We realized how hard we needed to work in order to be successful, and that’s really what has gotten us to where we are. Everyone in the locker room started to believe in each other, and we all developed the confidence that we could get the job done.”
On being ranked by NHL Central Scouting…
“It’s nice to see, but it’s not something to think about too much. It’s pretty early, and there is still a long way to go. A lot can happen from now until the end of the season. Right now, our team is playing really well, so I’m going to focus on helping the team continue to get better.”
On the Blades’ young guns…
“All of our first-year players have done a really good job, coming in. (Burke) Gallimore has been really good, and I think he’s second in rookie goal-scoring. Guys like (Josh) Nicholls, (Brody) Sutter, Cody Chikie, (Charles) Inglis have all done a really good job. They are working hard and battling for a spot in the lineup every day, and learning what it takes to play in the WHL.”
On the Saskatoon community’s reaction to the Blades’ success…
“I think the more success you have, the more interest people are going to show. It’s been noticeable with the last few games, the crowd gets louder and more people are coming out. It’s good when you know the fans are behind you.”
On the strong East Division…
“We know we’re in a really strong division with a lot of good teams, so we’ll have to be ready for that every night. It’s important that we don’t take any team lightly because right now we’re the top team and everyone will want to beat us. We need to keep playing the same way we have been to stay ahead in this division.”
Jesse Watts
whl.ca
Scout
The Saskatoon Blades have been one of the best teams in the WHL through the early part of the 2008-09 season and, as a result, are enjoying life at the top of the East Division standings.
After two consecutive seasons without playoff hockey, the Blades have served notice that they not only intend to be there when the 2009 post-season begins, but keep their season going well into the spring.
A big factor in the Blades’ turnaround has been the contributions of sophomore defenseman Stefan Elliott.
The 17-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., arrived in Saskatoon with high expectations, considering he was the return from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for current NHLer Devin Setoguchi in a 2006 trade. Potting nine goals and 40 points as a 16-year-old rookie in 2007-08, Elliott has so far delivered on those lofty expectations.
A smooth skater, Elliott is an offensively gifted defenseman who can move the puck well, make plays, and create scoring chances with his strong hockey sense and vision. Yet, with a 6’ 1”, 184-lb frame and quick stick, Elliott is also very responsible in his own end.
Eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Elliott has already opened the eyes of many pro scouts, and has been ranked fifth among the WHL’s draft-eligible skaters by NHL Central Scouting in their fall preliminary rankings.
As one of several young and emerging talents on the Blades, Elliott will no doubt be a key performer if the Blades are to establish themselves as the team to beat in the East Division.
Catching Up With…Stefan Elliott
On the Blades’ season, to date…
“We had a bit of a slow start to the year, and struggled in the first couple weeks, but we’ve been playing really well since then. We realized how hard we needed to work in order to be successful, and that’s really what has gotten us to where we are. Everyone in the locker room started to believe in each other, and we all developed the confidence that we could get the job done.”
On being ranked by NHL Central Scouting…
“It’s nice to see, but it’s not something to think about too much. It’s pretty early, and there is still a long way to go. A lot can happen from now until the end of the season. Right now, our team is playing really well, so I’m going to focus on helping the team continue to get better.”
On the Blades’ young guns…
“All of our first-year players have done a really good job, coming in. (Burke) Gallimore has been really good, and I think he’s second in rookie goal-scoring. Guys like (Josh) Nicholls, (Brody) Sutter, Cody Chikie, (Charles) Inglis have all done a really good job. They are working hard and battling for a spot in the lineup every day, and learning what it takes to play in the WHL.”
On the Saskatoon community’s reaction to the Blades’ success…
“I think the more success you have, the more interest people are going to show. It’s been noticeable with the last few games, the crowd gets louder and more people are coming out. It’s good when you know the fans are behind you.”
On the strong East Division…
“We know we’re in a really strong division with a lot of good teams, so we’ll have to be ready for that every night. It’s important that we don’t take any team lightly because right now we’re the top team and everyone will want to beat us. We need to keep playing the same way we have been to stay ahead in this division.”
Jesse Watts
whl.ca
Scout