Catton learning a lot in hockey travels

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/12/2022 (745 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A major rite of passage for a Western Hockey League player is their first cross-country road swing.

That’s what Spokane Chiefs forward Berkly Catton is experiencing over the next two weeks.

“We’re stuck on the bus for a lot of hours but it was actually a pretty fun trip,” Catton said after he and his teammates arrived in Winnipeg Thursday night. “I actually didn’t mind it at all.”

“There was a lot of sleeping and card games going on over the last couple of days, but it’s allowed the team to bond really well.”

The first-overall pick in the 2021 WHL draft makes his debut at Westoba Place tonight when the Chiefs square off with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Spokane’s East Division adventure – which began Friday against the Ice and wraps up on Saturday, Dec. 17 against the Prince Albert Raiders – normally happens every other year but hasn’t taken place since the fall of 2018 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The return to a normal schedule worked out perfectly for the 16-year-old Saskatoon product.

“I’ve definitely had these dates marked on my calendar for quite a while,” Catton said. “Not only do I get to go up against some of my buddies like (Wheat Kings forward) Roger (McQueen) but I get to play in arenas back in Saskatchewan that I’ve been going to my whole life.

“It’s going to be an exciting couple of weeks.”

Like everyone else that was picked last year, Catton’s road to the WHL draft had its twists and turns.

After recording 108 points in 30 games as an underage player with the Saskatoon Bandits under-15 AAA program, he moved up to the Saskatoon Contacts under-18 AAA squad for the 2020-21 campaign.

However, due to protocols that resulted in the shutdown of the Saskatchewan Under-18 AAA Hockey League season, Catton only played a handful of games with a stacked Contacts roster that featured current WHL stars Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors), Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars) and Kevin Korchinski (Seattle Thunderbirds).

“That was going to be a really exciting team, so it was a real shame that we just had a couple of games together,” Catton said.

“We did end up practising a lot though and that was honestly pretty helpful for me. I got to skate with those older guys and I had a lot of time to work on my skills to make them better.”

With uncertainly surrounding the 2021-22 campaign, and the fact that the draft itself had been moved back from its usual spot in May to December to allow players a chance to showcase their talents, Catton elected to go south of the border.

He started the year with the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 prep program in Fairbault, Minn., where he had 23 points in 15 games on a team that included Wheat Kings U.S. prospects draft choice Zachary Nehring.

While Catton’s time at Shattuck only lasted a half-season — he returned to the Contacts shortly after being picked by Spokane and recorded 41 points in 23 games for a league-best 1.95 point per game mark — he says that he enjoyed the experience.

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently if I was presented with that scenario again,” Catton said.

“I honestly learned so much with how different hockey is in America compared to in Canada, especially when it comes to things like stickwork and how certain systems are run.”

Catton got his first taste of WHL action last spring as he dressed for nine regular season games, where he had a goal and three assists, and four playoff contests with the Chiefs.

He says that helped him learn a lot about what he needed to do in order to make the jump to major junior hockey this year and what life would be like in Washington’s second-largest city.

“I was definitely a lot more comfortable when I came to training camp,” Catton said. “Even though I wasn’t a full-time guy, everyone with the Chiefs made me feel that way.

“All of us young guys on the team have been learning lots from the older guys on the team about what it takes to go through a long season and making sure that you are always working on the little things.”

While Catton described his rookie campaign as ‘going OK,’ he’s currently third in scoring for the Chiefs with 17 points – five goals and 12 assists ­– in 19 games.

He also recorded 12 points in seven games for Canada Red at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley, B.C., last month.

The only drawback to Catton’s freshman season is the fact that the Chiefs have gotten off to a rough start.

Heading into Friday’s game in Winnipeg, they were tied for ninth in the Western Conference with a 5-18-0-1 mark and were nine points behind the Kelowna Rockets in the race for a playoff spot.

While they have a deep hole to climb out of, Catton believes the Chiefs are heading in the right direction.

“Our last few games have been way better than they were at the start of the season,” Catton said.

“If we can get a couple of wins and play some strong games before we head into the Christmas break, I think we’re going to have a lot of momentum when we come back.”

» lpunkari@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @lpunkari