There was an obvious hole in the Olds Grizzlys lineup on the evening of Nov 9.
One of the team's defencemen was on the other side of the country that night, showing off his skills to NHL scouts at the 2013 Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Prospects games in Nova Scotia.
Nikolas Koberstein, a 17-year-old Barrhead resident, said he learned he had been picked for the games, along with 23 other players from Western Canada, on Nov. 3 when he received a text message from Grizzlys coach Brett Hopfe.
“I was kind of in shock for a little while. I had to rub my eyes for a little bit,” he said. “But it's an awesome opportunity.”
The games, which were held on November 8 and 9, are an opportunity for the top NHL prospects in the CJHL's five eastern and five western leagues, including the Alberta Junior Hockey League to which the Grizzlys belong, to play before talent scouts from the NHL.
Koberstein, who departed for Nova Scotia on Nov. 7, said he wasn't going to think about who was watching him from the stands during the game or who he was playing with and against.
He added he was preparing for the prospects series by remaining focused on performing well on the ice at all times.
“Just worry about what you can control and the rest will just fall into place,” he said.
The support from Koberstein's teammates and coaches on the Grizzlys bench has been overwhelming, he said, adding the opportunity to play before NHL scouts would not have come his way without the Grizzlys organization behind him.
“The coach and the team have put me in a position that they gave me the chance to do this,” he said.
When asked why he believes he was picked for the prospects roster, Koberstein said he's a player that thinks on the ice.
Hopfe said all the Grizzlys did to help Koberstein achieve this opportunity was give him a chance to play hockey.
“And he's taken it and ran with it,” he said. “He's like a 20-year-old defenceman out there for us right now.”
He added he has no doubt the scouts are going to take notice.
“It's something the player definitely deserves. Nikolas is an extremely hard-working kid and obviously has a tonne of talent.”
The Grizzlys coaching staff was disappointed and “rattled,” however, that Koberstein wasn't invited to Hockey Canada's world junior A selection camp, Hopfe said.
“He deserved to be invited to that and I think he got overlooked.”
But the prospects series, he added, is a way to make up for that snub.
“This is something that is still going to allow him to showcase his talents to numerous NHL, NCAA (scouts) and Canadian universities,” Hopfe said.
A CJHL representative was not available for comment before press time.
Koberstein currently has three goals and three assists with the Grizzlys this season.
