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Tochkin hopes for a rebirth as a Raider

Oct 24, 2011 | 7:58 PM

The newest member of the Prince Albert Raiders looks upon his trade from the Medicine Hat Tigers as a new beginning.

Kellan Tochkin wasn't surprised by Monday's deal feeling he never really fit in after being acquired by the Tigers in a January 2011 trade from the Everett Silvertips.

“Just from the time I got there despite great, great teamates, but just from a playing standpoint, it wasn't the best fit for me so I was very happy they sent me to somewhere that I'm going to get a really good opportunity” said Tochkin.

He continued to comment while looking at forty years of team pictures outside the Raider dressing room before his first pracice with new teamates. 

“As a 20-year-old obviously you want to show the young the younger guys the way and just bring that to the table every night and bring my offense, I'm going to be playing with really good players, so it's going to be really exciting, I'm really looking forward to it”.

Tochkin has already signed with the Vancouver Canucks organization after a free agent tryout. He realizes a good season with the Raiders will be a good springboard to pro hockey.

“Being in the American Hockey League was an option for me, It's just they felt that one more year (of Junior Hockey), getting a little bigger and stronger would do wonders for my game and in Medicine Hat so far that hasn't really been the case, so from a confidence standpoint, coming here, it helps a lot”.

It's been a challenging season for Tochkin. The native of Abbotsford B.C. missed three games with a minor injury and has yet to score in ten contests, hitting several goal posts. Tochkin said it's one of those quirks of hockey you have to battle through.

“That's the funny thing about hockey. Sometimes it doesn't reward you the way you think you should be rewarded, but you have to control what you can control and the biggest thing for me is to keep shooting lots of pucks in practice and eventually one of them will go in for me”, said Tochkin.

“I haven't really had a struggle like this in I think three years in the Western Hockey League, so as a 20-year-old it's a little eye opening, adveristy is really bad, but it also teaches you a lot of really good things”.       

Tochkin makes his debut as a Raider tonight in Moose Jaw with home games Thursday against Swift Current and Saturday vs Saskatoon. All three games start at 7 o'clock with broadcasts on 900 CKBI and 900ckbi.com beginning at 6:30 

The deal

The Raiders hope they have found the top six forward they have been looking for. When last year's leading scorer Jonathan Parker (45 goals 41 assists) cracked the roster of the AHL's Rochester Americans it left a huge hole in the Raider lineup.

Coach and G.M. Bruno Campese hopes Kellan Tochkin will replace some of the offense missing from the departure of Parker.

The 20- year-old old from Abbotsford B.C. has been acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers for 20-year-old defenseman James Bettauer and a sixth round draft choice in 2013.

Tochkin has 214 points including 77 goals in 227 career games in the WHL. The Vancouver Canucks prospect averaged close to a point a game in 2-and-a-half seasons with the defensive minded Everett Silvertips and maintained that pace with Medicine Hat.

Tochkin has also flirted with the 30 goal pleateau for each of the last two seasons with 29 and 28 respectively.

Campese feels last week's trade with Vancouver gave the team the sufficient depth necessary on defense to part with Bettauer, who has 5 goals and 4 assists in 15 games. The Raiders picked up 19-year-old defenseman Tyler Hart (as well as 19-year-old centreman Teal Burns) in last Monday's deal with the Giants.  

Although Tochkin is listed as a right winger, Campese plans to use him on the left side, but hasn't decided on his linemates.

Tochkin was packed and on his way to Prince Albert within two hours of hearing about the deal and according to Campese is excited about a new opportunity with the Raiders.

Tochkin has yet to score this season but is said to have hit about a dozen goal posts in his 10 games with the Tigers. He has 8 assists.

The trade also brings the Raiders down to 8 defenseman, which is where Campese has wanted to be since the beginning of the regular season.

He said this could mean more opportunities for youngsters like Matt Berry and Sawyer Lange and believes 19-year-olds Antoine Corbin and Tyler Vanscourt will be able to step up replace Bettauer's offense.

Tochkin will make his Raider debut  Wednesday in Moose Jaw. The Raiders close out the week with home games Thursday against Swift Current and Saturday vs the Saskatoon Blades.

dwilson@rawlco.com