For every stride the Red Deer Rebels have made as a hockey club this season, Olds native Daulton Siwak has made similar strides as a junior hockey player.
The 17-year-old is in his second year with the Western Hockey League club and while his own rise hasn't been as meteoric as the club's, he feels the progress between year one and year two has been dramatic.
“Compared to last year, it's night and day,” he explained in a recent interview with the Albertan. “My goal, personally, is to just try and stay consistent. I've got points in spurts this year but I've got to become a more consistent player and have a big impact for the playoffs coming up.”
This season, Siwak has played all 70 games for the Rebels, chalking up totals of 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points, playing mostly on the Rebels second or third lines. The solidly built winger is a stellar plus-5 this season in helping the Red Deer squad to a 46-16-4-4 record, second in the Eastern Conference standings behind the powerful Saskatoon Blades.
Last year in 61 games marked by illness and injury, the former first pick in the second round of the WHL Bantam Draft only racked up two goals and three assists.
“With that extra year, it's been unbelievable to see how much you improve over the summer and coming back in it gave me a huge amount of confidence over last year,” he said.
With only two games left on their schedule – a home-and-home series with the Edmonton Oil Kings – the Rebels are closing in on the playoffs in a much more pleasing position than last season. After losing four straight in the opening round last year, the team is focused on a post-season run at the WHL title.
“We're completely focused on playoffs right now,” Siwak emphasized. “Of course we have to win every game here, but everything is churning and getting ready for playoffs.”
In their current second-place standing the Rebels will likely face either the Oil Kings or Brandon in the first round, depending on results from the last few games.
Key to the team's success will be the contributions of everyone, including the Olds Minor Hockey product who was one of the players that impressed head coach Jesse Wallin in last year's short playoff stint.
Of course Siwak and everyone with the Rebels knows how far they go depends on the form of team scoring leader and elite NHL draft prospect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who's 102 points leads the Rebels.
The two players were drafted with the Rebels' first two picks of the 2008 bantam draft and have developed a fast friendship off the ice to go with a solid rapport on it in the rare occasions they get to play together.
“We're pretty good friends off the ice and we usually get a little extra spark when we get put out there together and my role playing with a guy like that is to move bodies for him and try to create space and grind as much for him as I can,” Siwak said.
And while the two won't share an NHL draft experience this year – Siwak is draft eligible in 2012 thanks to an October birthday – the local product completely understands why scouts are so enamoured with Nugent-Hopkins (he's ranked second overall among draft prospects by NHL Central Scouting).
“I've never seen anyone move like that,” Siwak explained. “It's unreal to watch and it's great to be on his team and learn from him.”
Also helping with Siwak's growth is the head coach. A former Rebel himself, Wallin is someone that the players look up to because of his experience and his straightforward approach in dealing with all the players.
“We have meetings with each other weekly and it's awesome to be coached by a guy that's been through everything and has won a Stanley Cup (2001-02 Detroit Red Wings) … it's great to learn from him,” Siwak said.
