Onto the second half of the WHL season we go, and with it underway, most players who were away at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa have now returned to their respective clubs. That includes 2024 No. 8 draft pick of the Seattle Kraken, Berkly Catton, who rejoined the Spokane Chiefs lineup on Friday night in Everett, where Sound Of Hockey was able to catch up with him.
Though the Chiefs weren’t able to squeak away with the win at Angel of the Winds Arena in Catton’s return, falling 4-2 to the Silvertips, there definitely seemed to be an extra pep in his step. Whether it was the highs from the tournament still lingering or a newly revitalized Chiefs’ first line that Catton came back to, it was clear he was eager to make an impact.
The quick and nimble 18-year-old forward from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is doing everything he can to show his improvements to the development staff in Seattle, and it’s paying off.
Tough lessons learned from the WJC
When Canada opened the tournament with an unexpected loss to Latvia, many began to foresee its fate and were unsurprised when the team ultimately failed to medal for the second year in a row.
A lot of the blame fell on Hockey Canada and some of the questionable decisions made when constructing the initial roster in the first place. Nonetheless a loss is a loss in Catton’s book.
“No one wants to go through [those types of losses], but realistically, every hockey player does,” Catton said. “Adversity ultimately makes me a stronger person and a better player.”
Catton himself, a dynamic scoring forward that has continued to light up the WHL this season, was held to just one assist in five games at the World Junior Championship.
Despite the hardships and all that followed, Catton claimed it was important to learn these lessons early.
Kraken’s focus on Catton’s development
As for what the Kraken’s development program has focused on with Catton, they want to see him take more initiative in challenging game situations, working off the puck to create opportunities.
“They picked me because of how I’m able to make plays, but there are obviously more things we’ve wanted to work on. Mainly, building muscle and improving my straight-away speed are the areas they’ve wanted me to focus on.”
The 5-foot-10 Catton noted that he’s gained almost eight pounds since being drafted and now weighs 180 pounds.
Development staff impressed by Catton’s progress
In a recent interview on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini expressed admiration for Catton’s performance both at the World Juniors and in the WHL this season.
“Catton’s been a profile Hockey Canada guy since he was 15,” Tambellini said. “He’s been the captain, he’s been the best player, and as an 18-year-old, he’s now in an impact scoring role.”
Despite failing to meet the lofty expectations placed on by Team Canada, Tambellini and the development staff were pleased with how Catton handled the roles Canada gave him.
“He’s a second- or third-line center. He’s on the first power play,” Tambellini continued. “For an 18-year-old kid, that’s amazing—to have him in high-pressure games, in high-pressure moments, and having the responsibility to score in Ottawa with a packed building, and in such a hostile environment.
“From the Kraken’s standpoint, we love that he’s had that experience. You get to go up against the top guys, and you’re the guy going over the boards in those big moments. That only helps.”
Catton’s steady production in Spokane
Back in Spokane, Catton continues to produce solidly from game to game in the WHL. His point production expectedly hasn’t been as high as his draft season last year, where he put up 15 goals and 39 assists in just 30 games, but he’s still delivering what the development staff has been hoping to see.
They’re eager to see Catton play in more high-leverage situations, and with recent additions to the Chiefs’ roster, he’ll have more opportunities to prove himself down the stretch and deeper into the WHL playoffs, especially with his new partner in crime, Andrew Cristall.
Andrew Cristall joins the fray
It is safe to say Catton needed a wingman with the Chiefs, and he got that when Washington Capitals second-round pick Andrew Cristall was acquired by Spokane at the trade deadline.
Cristall was in camp with Catton for Team Canada initially, but astonishingly, the WHL leading scorer didn’t make the team. He’s thrilled he gets to join forces with Catton now.
“We were around the puck the whole night and getting looks,” Cristall said after Friday’s game in Everett. “He’s a special player. I think he found me a few times tonight where I didn’t think anybody really could.”
Catton admitted that it wasn’t going to be an instant connection, but having a player of similar caliber to him on his side nightly could only stand to benefit him and his development.
He said it might take him and Cristall some time to gain chemistry with each other, but it sure looked like they were already clicking.
After losing 4-2 at Everett on Friday, the Chiefs headed east to Wenatchee the following evening and absolutely lit it up, winning 12-2 against the Wild. Catton and Cristall combined for a ridiculous 14 points on the night, with Catton recording a goal and six assists.
Everett Silvertips continuing their WHL dominance
The Everett Silvertips continue to roll. With a record of 30-5-3-3, they sit nine points ahead in the top spot in the West, showing no signs of slowing down.
Everett consistently dominates in shot totals and puts up crooked numbers night after night. They lead the league in both goals for and goals against, with a margin of over 25 goals in each category.
They took care of business on Friday night against the Chiefs, behind Jesse Sanche’s 43-save performance. He’s been nothing short of remarkable this season, leading the WHL with a .917 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average. No other goalie is within 0.40 of his lead.
After a tough loss on Saturday in Kent, where they blew a 4-1 lead to the lowly Seattle Thunderbirds and eventually lost in a shootout, the Silvertips bounced back with a commanding 4-1 win over the Tri-City Americans on Sunday.
Everett’s ability to battle through adversity is in a class above others in the WHL. They’ve only lost back-to-back games twice this season.
“I would say just as a team, we don’t really get frustrated,” forward Carter Bear said. “We just move on, learn from our losses, and come back together as a team. That regrouping shows on the ice.”
More on Bear’s game shortly.
But arguably the biggest news of the season for the Tips came this past week, when the team announced that beloved former team captain Austin Roest would be rejoining the club on an injury rehab stint from Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.
Roest was one of the Silvertips’ most dominant two-way attackers in the league last season, with 38 goals and 33 assists in 61 regular-season games, but he sustained a lower-body injury during Game 5 of the first round playoff series against Vancouver. He hasn’t appeared in a game for either the Admirals or Silvertips since.
Nonetheless, everyone we spoke to this weekend expressed excitement about getting back an established leader in the locker room. As for management, they’re just happy they didn’t have to shell out a pretty penny to bring him back.
“It was something that came together where we said, ‘What would an Austin Roest-caliber player cost to acquire at the deadline?’ And for us, we’re talking about multiple, multiple assets,” Coach Hamilton said. “When he’s in-house, he’s a former captain, like we’re not talking about a fringe player here, we’re talking about a Silvertip through and through; it was a no-brainer.”
In addition, Julius Miettinen didn’t dress for the Silvertips this weekend, still recovering from his time with Finland at the World Juniors. Coach Hamilton said the silver medalist should be back soon.
“When he’s not here, we feel that gap in our lineup,” Hamilton said. “Whether it’s face-offs, or being a big body around the net. As a skilled, big man, he has a lot of the attributes you like.”
Header photo by Larry Brunt, courtesy of the Spokane Chiefs.