From Vancouver to Boise

I'm late to the party on this one, but, in researching team rosters and information from the past two seasons for the Canada West men's hockey preview show on the The Hockey Show this week, I found out that the player to the left, Colton Kehler of the UBC Thunderbirds, is taking his talents to the state of Idaho where he's signed a contract to play for the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads this season! Normally, there are all sorts of players who make the leap from university men's hockey to the pro ranks, but it's always nice to see a guy you watched get that opportunity. Kehler was one of those players who always put the effort in every night, never took a shift off, and it appears he's being rewarded for it.

Kehler came out of the Edmonton Oil Kings program in the WHL where he was a solid scoring threat in amassing 67 goals and 41 assists in 200 contests. His 32 goals in 2017-18 lead the Oil Kings in goals, and he finished third in scoring on the team. He was also an alternate captain for the Oil Kings in his final two seasons from 2016-18 so not only does he have some lamp-lighting ability, but he's a leader as well.

His jump to Canada West hockey where players are older, often bigger, and certainly more experienced saw his scoring take a dip, but the effort, as stated above, didn't. His eight goals and seven assists in 42 games doesn't accurately reflect his effectiveness in playing head coach Sven Butenschon's system at the Vancouver school, but Kehler helped UBC upset the Alberta Golden Bears en route to a surprise U SPORTS National Championship appearance in 2020. Kehler scored a key goal in Game One to tie the game at 2-2 against Alberta before UBC won in overtime in that Canada West playoff series which marked the first home playoff defeat for Alberta since Game Two of the 2013 Canada West Final.

With most of the North American leagues on pause last season due to the pandemic, Kehler jumped over to Germany where he signed with Herner EV 2007 Miners in the Oberliga and had a pretty solid season. In 35 games, he scored 17 goals and 21 assists to finish seventh in team scoring. The effort he showed in his collegiate career certainly helped him discover his scoring touch once again.

That success at several levels has now resulted in a contract with the Idaho Steelheads where Kehler will be able to continue on his professional hockey path.

"Coming back to North America has been something I've thought about since I left the Western League," Kehler said in a statement through the Steelheads. "With COVID, there weren't a lot of jobs over here so I spent a year in Europe. North America is where I want to be, and to have a spot over here is super exciting."

Seeing Colton Kehler back in North American hockey is exciting, and I have a feeling that he'll be a good fit with the Steelheads in terms of his scrappy play and ability to score goals. He was an effective player during his time in Canada West, and it's always nice to see a guy I watched from the stands get a chance to take the next step in his career!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!