Kehler’s hockey journey hits home

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This article was published 25/01/2021 (1713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cole Kehler got an offer he couldn’t refuse Sunday.

For the undrafted Altona product, a two-year veteran of the ECHL, accepting a one-year contract from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose was pretty basic case of career advancement.

He is happy to have a job in the middle of the pandemic and the fit is near perfect, joining the club he followed avidly as a kid.

“I’ve gotten to see a lot hockey here in Manitoba over the years,” said Kehler after the opening practice of Moose training camp at Bell MTS Iceplex Monday.

“Starting with the Moose, I remember guys like Johan Hedberg and Drew MacIntyre. (I) even got to see Cory Schneider play a little bit for the Moose back then.

“It was always a big treat to be able to come out to a Moose game. I mean, we didn’t have the Jets for quite a while there so those were kind of like our NHL games.”

Kehler, 23, had 48 appearances in the ECHL over two seasons in the Los Angeles Kings farm system. Coming home — he also made an appearance at Winnipeg Jets training camp earlier this month — was a thrill.

“I think it makes this experience definitely a lot cooler, being able to have had those memories growing up and take a lot of pride and being part of this organization,” he said.

Kehler’s backstory also meshed favourably with Jets goalie development coach Rick St. Croix, who once tutored Kehler at his goalie camps. After a WHL career with stops in Portland and Kamloops, Kehler made an appearance at a Jets development camp.

“We also had interest in him two years ago, we had him at our development camp,” said St. Croix. “We like his work ethic, we like him as a person, so he’s good quality guy. He’s local. A lot of things were in his favour for us to keep him on our radar, which we have.”

The risk of not finding work during the pandemic was a nagging concern.

“It’s something I think that goes through your mind for sure,” said the 6-4, 205-pounder. “You know, it’s a long off-season… we got laid off by middle of last March and I’m going into the off-season as a free agent. Obviously didn’t go back with L.A., so there’s a lot of uncertainty. But you try and push that out of your mind as much as possible and you do what you can off the ice and what you can on the ice.”

During the pandemic, the Moose are expected to carry three goaltenders and that could make playing time hard to come by for Kehler and Arturs Silovs, who is expected to join the team on loan from the Vancouver Canucks.

“It looks like Mikhail Berdin will be carrying the load there and his development is very important for our program,” said St. Croix. “We’re not able to guarantee what’s going to happen for these younger players.”

Compounding the problem of playing time for the backups is a reduced schedule

“I hope that we can keep them prepared,” said St. Croix. “It’s a strange season and there may not be as many practices as other years would provide, so I don’t know what lies ahead.”

 

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14