Living a life of luxury boxes

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This article was published 01/03/2021 (2045 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Zak Smith was one of the lucky ones.

On Friday night, after 352 long days in the pandemic, the Red Deer Rebels finally played another game and Smith, a 19-year-old right-winger from Austin, was there to soak up the experience.

A 5-4 loss in overtime to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers stung and a 7-2 drubbing in Medicine Hat 24 hours later didn’t help the post-game mood but a return to the ice was the most important thing.

“It’s obviously really nice to get back on the ice but now these two games, they didn’t really go the way we wanted and it’s kind of a learning experience for us,” said Smith by phone Sunday afternoon. “We’ve got a little bit of a younger team still so I think we just work towards next weekend.”

Red Deer, who are scheduled to play a 24-game interprovincial schedule against the four other Alberta-based WHL franchises, will face the Calgary Hitmen in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, seven East Division teams including the Winnipeg Ice and Brandon Wheat Kings, are set to start play in a Regina hub March 12 and the five-team U.S. Division has a 24-game slate booked to start March 18.

All U.S. Division games will be played in the state of Washington while the league’s B.C. Division has yet to receive permission to return to play.

The Rebels are taking a novel approach to the truncated season, housing their players at Westerner Park Centrium while also practising and playing home games there.

In a normal year, the players would be billeted with families around town but for the next two months the Rebels will occupy the arena’s luxury boxes — one player per suite. The team’s coaching staff and team personnel will continue to live at home but coaches must observe strict protocols before they come to the rink.

One coach or staff member remains on site at all times.

Smith left home on Feb. 10, quarantined for four days in a local hotel and has been headquartered at the rink ever since. Outdoor team activities on off days have been scheduled and players can go for a walk around the Centrium parking lot for some fresh air. Otherwise, the rink is home sweet home.

“So three meals a day — breakfast, lunch and dinner — and we’re basically living the rink,” said Smith. “And we have basketball and ping pong (on the arena concourse) when we have spare time and that’s about it.”

Smith, who played four games with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives in fall, the monotony of arena living is a small price to pay.

“There’s ups and downs,” said Smith, who went without a point on opening weekend. “I mean, this is the only option we really have so you know you have to work with it but it’s nice being around the guys all the time. Obviously there’s not a lot of time where you’re just by yourself but it’s something you have to work with because we only have one chance at this.”

While Smith is starting his third season as a full-time player for the Rebels, fellow Manitoban Dallon Wilton won’t be back in the WHL for his third season.

On Saturday, the 19-year-old forward was released by the Kelowna Rockets.

“It’s really sad honestly because I enjoyed it so much and I didn’t see it coming,” said Wilton. “I thought for sure I’d get another shot and I play with them at 19 but that didn’t happen. It sucked because I love the city, I love my teammates.”

The Beausejour native appeared in 46 games for the Rockets last season, registering four points, including two goals and 19 penalty minutes. In total, Wilton appeared in 110 regular-season games with the Rockets, scoring six goals, 13 points and 46 penalty minutes.

Wilton said he is attempting to catch on with an Alberta Junior Hockey League team, which recently received permission to restart its season or a team in the BCHL, which is currently on hold.

“My coach Kris Mallette called me and he broke the news to me but then after that I called Bruce (GM Hamilton) and I called my assistant coach, I called my trainer there and just thanked everyone,” said Wilton.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14