More prospects into lineup

[Malc]

Two Kelowna Rockets prospects will be in the Rockets lineup Friday night when the Rockets meet the Prince Albert Raiders.

After making his debut on Wednesday night, 2011 draft pick Justin Kirkland is in the lineup again tonight. The 15-year-old winger from Camrose, was drafted by the Rockets in the fifth round of the 2011 bantam draft.

Joining him is 16-year Stewart Coyle, who joins the Rockets from the Sicamous Eagles of the KIJHL. The 6-2 defenceman has played 23 games with Sicamous and has 1-4-5 with an even plus/minus ratio.

The Salmon Arm native lists Shea Weber as his favourite defenceman. Weber played with the Eagles before joining the Rockets.

http://www.kelownarockets.com/article/rockets-prospects-into-lineup

[Malc]

By Larry Fisher

The last time Lorne Frey lured an undrafted defenceman from Sicamous to Kelowna, his name was Shea Weber.

This time, it‘s Stewart Coyle and, yes, there are some similarities.

Coyle, 16, started this season playing for his hometown KIJHL Sicamous Eagles under coach Blair Robinson, just like Weber at the same age in 2002, when he helped Sicamous win a Western Canadian Junior B championship.

Only time will tell how Coyle‘s future plays out, but Frey is good at judging talent.

"Blair thinks that Stewart might be as good an offensive guy as he‘s had at 16 years of age," said Frey, director of player personnel for the WHL‘s Kelowna Rockets.

Notably, Toronto Maple Leafs blue-liner Cody Franson also came through Sicamous‘s system in the small town best known for houseboating and NHL defencemen.

"(Coyle) passes the puck well and has good offensive instincts," Frey continued, "but, like every young player, defensively he needs some work. But that will get better, and he‘s got good upside that‘s for sure."

Weber‘s upside proved to be a Norris Trophy finalist as the NHL‘s top defenceman last season while captaining Nashville.

But he wasn‘t always that highly regarded, getting passed over in the WHL‘s bantam draft before being listed by Kelowna prior to 2001-02, in which he also played five games with the Rockets.

Coyle seems to be travelling a similar path - not picked in the 2010 bantam draft, listed by the Rockets out of training camp that fall, then recently summoned to Saskatchewan in the midst of Kelowna‘s pre-Christmas road trip across the Prairies, debuting in Prince Albert and also suiting up in Saskatoon. Coyle will stay in Kelowna‘s fold after Christmas, at least until injured defenders Damon Severson and Myles Bell are ready to return.

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Coyle is about the same size as the 16-year-old version of Weber, who grew five inches from 5-9 to 6-2 following his bantam draft year before topping out today at 6-4 and 234 pounds.

How big Coyle grows is anyone‘s guess. But it appears that the Rockets have big plans for him - he got his WHL feet wet last week, playing sparingly in two games.

"I almost felt bad for him," said Rockets assistant coach Dan Lambert, who baptized Coyle by fire without so much as a practice before playing Prince Albert. "He wasn‘t at our camp this year because he was hurt. So we really hadn‘t seen much of him other than warm-up. He had a few shifts and I wanted to put him out there more, but I also wanted to put him in situations where he could succeed. The few shifts he did have, he did a fine job, and he‘s a kid we believe is going to be part of the future in Kelowna."

Coyle‘s call-up was necessitated by Kelowna‘s rash of injuries, with seven regulars sitting out the last two games of that road trip, including Severson and Bell, with fellow defenceman Jesse Lees bumped up to forward.

Coyle can relate, with a soft-tissue issue that sidelined him for the first nine games of Sicamous‘ season, before returning to tally one goal, five points and eight penalty minutes in 23 games. Weber, for comparison sake, recorded nine goals, 42 points and 87 PIMs in 47 games during his one and only KIJHL campaign.

"(Coyle) got a late start, but he‘s continued to grow and continued to develop," Frey said. "We think he has a chance to be a pretty good player for us."

The Rockets have the makings of a pretty great blue-line in the seasons to come. Severson, 17, will play in next month‘s Top Prospects Game at Prospera Place, Lees and Madison Bowey - Kelowna‘s top two bantam draft picks from 2010 - are already becoming impact players as 16-year-old rookies, and Cole Martin, also 17, has exceeded all expectations as an all-around defender in his debut season.

Bell, who played in last year‘s Top Prospects Game but went undrafted, and MacKenzie Johnston are only 18 and could play two more seasons in Kelowna. Then, with Kevin Smith, 20, and Mitchell Chapman, 19, soon moving on, the likes of Coyle and Kelowna product Mark MacDougall, 17 (KIJHL Kelowna Chiefs), are waiting in the wings.

"We think we‘re good at the back end for down the road," Frey said. "That‘s where we want to build from, and hopefully we can keep finding some good players.

"We‘re young back there and it‘s probably hurting us somewhat right now, but in talking to (GM Bruce Hamilton), the young guys played lots on this trip and they‘re getting better, so that‘s good to see."

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