The new captain of the St. Albert Steel is anxious to lead the Alberta Junior Hockey League team by example.
“I have to come every day to the rink with the same attitude and the same effort,” said right-winger Taylor Fraser. “We’ve got a team that can do well this year and, if I bring my A game, I can help make that happen.”
Fraser, 20, has embraced his role as the straw that stirs the Steel’s drink.
“I’m very proud. It’s pretty cool to be the captain in my hometown,” said the team’s MVP in 2010/11. “Obviously with the C and the guys with the A, there is a little more pressure on us, but we have a pretty good room with a lot of core guys that can show the young guys how to do it.”
The last time Fraser wore the C with distinction was 2007/08 with the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders.
“I’ve always tried to be leader and a vocal guy on teams.”
After three losses and getting outscored 18-7 to start the season, the Steel need all hands on deck to steer the ship in the right direction. Tuesday, they played the Thunder in Drayton Valley, but the score was unavailable at press time.
“A win would help a lot of the young guys get the monkey off their backs. They won’t feel so much pressure,” Fraser said. “There is a lot of tension in the room. A lot of guys are quiet and there isn’t a lot of energy in the room. Once we get that win, it will settle things down for sure.”
The Steel are regrouping after Saturday’s 9-2 meltdown in Grande Prairie. They fell behind 2-0 before the two-minute mark and trailed by four while being outshot 14-9 in the first period. It was 6-0 when John Baird (power play) and defenceman Kyle Scaber scored 45 seconds apart in the third.
On the power play, the Steel finished 1-for-8 and Grande Prairie was 1-for-3. The ninth goal by the home team was recorded while shorthanded with 30 seconds to play.
Ty Swabb (eight goals against on 32 shots in 49:38 minutes played) and Rhys Hadfield (five saves on six shots) split time in net.
The Steel tested goalie Colin Dzijacky with 36 shots.
The night before in the Steel’s home opener, they outshot the Sherwood Park Crusaders 45-26 but lost 6-3. Attendance was 565.
“I can’t remember the last time we had 45 shots on net. It’s been a long time,” said Fraser, a fourth-year Steel skater with 59 goals and 118 points in the AJHL.
The Crusaders scored twice in the first frame and led 3-1 after 40 minutes.
“On the scoreboard, it didn’t show in goals, but we played well,” Fraser said.
Pat Terriss, a St. Albert product in his second year as the Crusaders’ starting goalie, was razor sharp in the middle period, stopping 17 of 18 shots.
“You have to give credit to Terriss. He always plays strong against us,” said Fraser.
He was encouraged by the Steel’s effort after a 3-2 loss in Olds on Sept. 9 to kick off the regular season.
“Heads and tails it was better. We were doing a little bit of everything. We got out of our comfort zone. We had a lot of shots on net. We were throwing the body. We outplayed them physically,” Fraser said. “There were a couple of bounces that we didn’t get, but for the most part, we played well. It’s a game that we have to take all the positives out of it.”
The Crusaders struck three times with the man advantage and Fraser connected twice on 11 Steel power plays while manning the point. His goals in the second and third periods cut the deficits to 2-1 and 3-2.
“It’s a new thing this year that we’re trying out,” Fraser said of quarterbacking the power play. “We’ve got a lot of scoring power so we’re trying to move guys around to see what works.”
The first AJHL goal by 16-year-old forward Cole Linaker pulled the Steel to within one of the Crusaders at 4-3 with 12:48 remaining.
The Crusaders closed out the scoring with goals at 10:46 and 19:44 into an empty net.
Hadfield went the distance in goal.
ICE CHIPS: The Steel and Crusaders play a home-and-home series this weekend. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday at Performance Arena and Saturday at Sherwood Park.
The next game for Fraser will be the 180th of his Steel career. Mike Giese holds the team record for most games played at 214.
Going into Tuesday’s game in Drayton Valley, Fraser and Baird shared the team lead in points with three apiece. Last season, Fraser’s 67 points in 60 games was good for a share of sixth place in the AJHL scoring race. He also tied for second in goals with 35, three less than the league high, and led the Steel’s special teams in power play (14) and shorthanded (two) goals.
