WHL NOTEBOOK: Thompson hopes for delayed farewell

Ryder Thompson has said his goodbyes to his final regular season in the Western Hockey League. Now he’s hoping it will be a while until his major junior career wraps up for good.

The 20-year-old Portland Winterhawks defenceman from Russell knows what’s coming next season but is making sure he remembers everything he can from this one before it ends.

“There is a certain balance of business and wanting those two points every night with the team, but at the same time it’s still the enjoyment,” Thompson said. “It is a farewell tour, playing in those arenas and those bus trips with the guys and sharing it with the two other 20-year-olds is something special.

“This year I’ve tried to be as present as I could and not focus on the future or any of the above and create memories with these guys. It’s been memorable in that sense but also emotional playing in an arena like Brandon and my last game in Portland.

“You’re always counting down those games in arenas and seeing it come to an end is sad, but I thought we made the most of it.”

The Winterhawks did some inspired drafting when they grabbed him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft with the 105th overall pick. He had spent the two previous seasons with the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg after his minor U15 AAA campaign with the Parkland Rangers.

Thompson admitted getting picked was a major focus when it happened.

“For that day to happen was super special for me and my family,” Thompson said. “And then to come down here and finally see what Portland was like at 15, it was everything I could have dreamed of. It’s a first-class organization that provided me with nothing but opportunities to succeed and develop as a player. Looking back, I think I really hit the jackpot.”

So did the Winterhawks.

Thompson has played 264 regular season games with the franchise and 38 more in the playoffs, and served as an alternate captain for the past two years.

He said the thing that’s changed most in his game from age 15 to 20 is his desire to have the puck on his stick. He felt like he was always good at breaking out the puck, eluding defenders and making a good first pass, but his confidence as an offensive player has grown exponentially.

“There are just little details defensively that have grown a lot and I’ve shown as staples of my game, whether that’s box-outs or just breakouts,” he said. “One thing that’s really grown is my offensive ability. This year it showed with my goal total that I’m a little more confident and showed people I do have some offensive ability to contribute.”

Thompson scored nine times this season, nearly doubling his previous career output of five, and he also set a new points mark with 23.

While the success eventually arrived, nothing was guaranteed when he arrived. He admits the move to the Oregon city of 2.2 million people had its challenges.

“It was a big culture shock when I came at 15,” Thompson said. “I knew nothing about Portland city-wise or what it looked like and no one warned me about the traffic. Coming in at 16 or 17, it was a big culture shock. The driving was a lot different but it’s super fun to live here. It doesn’t snow pretty much year-round like it does in Manitoba. On off days the guys are going golfing and it’s a lot easier to go out and do stuff.

“And to have a city rally behind you for games, whether it’s 5,000 on a Wednesday night or 10,000 for a teddy bear toss game, that’s something pretty cool and unique about this city. It’s a lot different coming from a town of 1,700 people.”

NEW ROUTE

When he was a youngster, he settled on the major junior route over college if he was ever given the opportunity, in part because he went to Brandon Wheat Kings games and hoped to play for them one day.

While the WHL draft took him in a different direction, he remained a good student and was named Portland’s academic player of the year in 2021.

He had no expectations of a college career until the news dropped in November that the NCAA rules had changed to allow major juniors players in, and schools quickly began to reach out to him.

He acknowledged there was a massive learning curve for everyone in his family: Thompson would come home from practice and do Zoom calls with different coaching staffs to get a sense of what each school had to offer in terms of scholarship details and his role on the ice.

Miami University ultimately prevailed. The school, which is located in Oxford, Ohio and has more than 18,000 students, felt like the best fit so he signed to join the RedHawks.

He is the 13th member of a recruiting class set to join a team that finished last in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference this winter with a conference record of 0-23-1.

“I thought Miami was the most professional in my opinion,” Thompson said. “Their schedule, their coaching staff, obviously they didn’t have a season like they wanted to this year but they have new coaches that I’m really excited about. The role they expressed that I would fill was also something I was excited about.

“The opportunity to go there academic-wise and hockey-wise, it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

He hasn’t visited campus yet, joking he hopes he won’t be able to go until in the summer because the Winterhawks enjoyed another long playoff run.

With the post-season set to begin on Friday, this is the third time during Thompson’s tenure that fifth-place Portland is facing the fourth-place Prince George Cougars. There won’t be many secrets between the teams, which met four times this season. Portland ended up with four wins, but one was in overtime and one was in a shootout.

“Every year it’s a pretty personal matchup, especially going there for the start of the playoffs,” Thompson said. “It’s a pretty hostile environment, so going there you’re already on your toes a little bit and nervous because it feels like the crowd is on top of you and so passionate about their team and they want to win so badly.

“As a group, they are very skilled with (Riley) Heidt, (Koehn) Ziemmer, (Borya) Valis, they bring a lot of skill so containing those guys will be tough.”

He noted they are also physical and work hard, and have a great power play if you take penalties.

Last season, the Winterhawks added Brandon captain Nate Danielson at the trade deadline and fell in the league final to the Moose Jaw Warriors so they have playoff experience.

THE END IS NIGH

Not many players get to spend five years with one organization. Thompson said he took it for granted, but as the end is drawing near, he’s getting a better sense of how meaningful it is.

It’s something he shares with his five-year teammate Kyle Chyzowski, while the team’s other overager, Tyson Jugnauth, left the University of Wisconsin to join the Winterhawks just before Christmas in 2023.

“I think it’s super special,” Thompson said. “Our 20-year-olds last year had done it and to have two more that do it this year is something that might never happen within the organization again, especially with this NCAA ruling. I think it will become super rare.

“To have the opportunity to spend my last five years here is something that is more special than I thought it was. To develop as a player and grow as a person and all the relationships I’ve developed here and for them to trust me to be here over the last five years is something super cool.”

The esteem the organization holds for Thompson is best signified by the Winterhawk Award, which honours character, leadership and heart and soul. For the first time in the franchise’s 49-year history, Thompson has won it in three consecutive seasons.

He said it’s something he had to grow into during his time with the team.

“I’ve changed a lot,” Thompson said. “I think my character has stayed the same, but my dedication to the game has progressed a lot. I laugh now at my routine when I was 16 or 17. I was always the guy who worked hard, but showed up and was on the ice like minor hockey. You get on, you get off the ice and then you shower and leave.

“As 20-year-olds, the routines are a little more dialled. It showed with me winning the Winterhawk award over the last three years. I’m one of those guys who gets to the rink early and has my routine. I’m doing extra before practice and after practice. That’s something I’ve learned in Portland.

“You’re never going to regret doing more.”

Like all young WHL players, he was told his junior career would pass by quickly. Now he’s the old guy telling the youngsters the same thing.

He’s grateful he was give the opportunity, noting it’s starting to get emotional as the end gets closer. But he knows he’s accrued a lifetime of memories and made friendships he’s certain he’ll maintain.

“I think it’s going to be the relationships I’ve built over these past five years, other it’s the coaches or especially the teammates,” Thompson said of what he’ll remember. “Last year we had a really tight-knit group and I can see that with this year’s team.

“Seeing how the older guys have kept in touch with the younger guys throughout the course of this year, I think that’s going to be the case with me. It’s something I’m going to miss a lot, just showing up to the rink with these guys every day and just bs-ing about whatever or just going golfing.”

THIS AND THAT

• QUIZ — Brandon just finished its regular season with a record of 38-23-4-3, good for 83 points. What’s happened more in the team’s WHL history, 38 wins or 83 points?

• WEEKLY AWARDS — The player of the week is 17-year-old Tri-City Americans defenceman Jackson Smith of Calgary, who had four goals ad two assists in three games. He is ranked ninth among North American skaters by Central Scouting for the upcoming National Hockey League draft.

The goaltender of the week is 20-year-old Prince Albert Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand of Martensville, Sask., who posted a 1.98 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and a 3-0-0-0 record to help the Raiders since the East Division crown. He is committed to Bemidji State University next season.

The rookie of the week is 16-year-old Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jaxon Jacobson. After scoring once and adding four assists last week, it’s the third time the 16-year-old Brandonite has won the award.

• SIN BIN — Kelowna Rockets defenceman Carter Kowalyk received one game for a fighting major and game misconduct he took against the Kamloops Blazers on March 15.

• ALUMNI GLANCE — Former Wheat Kings forward Reid Duke, 29, is suiting up for the Cardiff Devils in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom, where he has seven goals and 16 assists in 32 games. It’s his third season in Europe after toiling in the American Hockey League for five seasons in the Las Vegas Golden Knights system.

The Calgary product played three seasons with the Wheat Kings after a trade from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and in 179 regular season games contributed 90 goals and 94 assists. In 31 playoff games, he had 28 points, including the overtime winner in Game 3 of the league final against the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2016.

• BIRTHDAY BOYS — Former Wheat Kings born this week include Linden McCorrister (March 25, 1998), Trevor Kidd (March 26, 1972), Daryl Stockham (March 26, 1977), Randy Ponte (March 27, 1981), Ron Chipperfield (March 28, 1954), Brad McCrimmon (March 29, 1959), Toni Rajala (March 29, 1991), Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (March 29, 1984), Del Cowan (March 31, 1989), Gord Lane (March 31, 1953) and Derek LeBlanc (March 31, 1986).

• THE WEEK AHEAD — The playoffs begin with games in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes on Friday at 8 p.m. (CDT) and Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT). Brandon will play its home games in Virden at Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. The team leaves for Lethbridge on Wednesday morning.

• ANSWER — The one and only other time the Wheat Kings ended up with 83 points was in the 2010-11 season when they went 39-28-1-4. Brandon also ended up in the 80s in 1993-94 (89 points), 1998-99 (82), 2010-11 and 2017-18 (85).

This is the first time they’ve ever had 38 wins. They’ve also never had 36 or 37, but they finished with 39 in 1998-99 (39-29-4) and 2011-12 (39-28-1-4).