Image credit: Kamloops Blazers

By Earl Seitz

Blazers Zary and Garand

Blazers Zary and Garand looking to build on international experience.

Aug 22, 2019 | 4:35 PM

KAMLOOPS — In 2018 Connor Zary was cut from both the U-18 World camp and Hlinka Gretzky summer camp.He used it as motivation, and returned to the Blazers for his 17 year old season finishing second in team scoring with 67 points, including 24 goals, in 63 games.

This time Hockey Canada could’nt ignore the Saskatoon native —- Zary played in last springs U-18 World championship, scoring four goals and seven points in seven games. “When you go over there, everyone is a top notch player.” says Zary.

“Every night you’ve got to give it 100% and be ready for every situation you’re put in.

So when everyone is a good player on your team and other teams, you’re going to play in all different situations, so you’ve just got to be ready.” Zary turns 18 September 25 —- considered a late birthday by the NHL draft, which has a cutoff September 15 for the preceding springs draft. In a sence it gives Zary a leg up for the 2020 draft —— an extra year of junior experience, that already has him rated a potential first round pick next June.

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“I’m kind of just focused on the team.” says Zary. “Trying to do as good as I can to help the team. I’m not really worried about the draft. I think that will all fall into place. Perhaps just like it did in that extra year for Hockey Canada from 2018 to 2019.

Dylan Garand will go into the season as the starting goaltender. As a 16-year old Garand got his baptism as a starter last March. After Dylan Ferguson went out with an injury, Garand won six of seven down the stretch, and tie breaker against Kelowna, to get the Blazers into the playoffs. “I’m not new to the league now, so I’ve got that experience under my belt in high pressure games.” says the 17-year old from Victoria. “The end of last season was really beneficial for me.

I’m just going to take everything I learned last season, and go right from the start of the season. Like Connor Zary in the spring, Garand go into international experience this month, playing for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Under-18 tournament in the Czech Republic —— posting a 1.53 average and .857 saves percentage in two games. “The high pressure.” says Garand. “You feel like if you don’t do good, you’re letting down your entire country.

Just to perform, it’s a lot different than being back here, where there are a lot of games. Over there, in one game, if you lose, you could be out for the tournament.

It’s a different playing style being in short term competition, having that experience, as well as regular season, I can get a good mix of both, and I think that will benefit me a lot.” “Going through the program with Hockey Canada is a great accomplishment.” says Blazers associate coach Darryl Sydor.

“With Dylan, the way he works and his focus on what he wants to do, he had good things happen to him this summer, and you just keep building on that, and his name is out there now.

And with Connor, he had a great time there (at U-18 Worlds in Sweden), he worked really hard, he’s come to camp, and we are really impressed. He’s all bought in, he just wants to improve. Knowing in the back of your mind that there’s a possibility of other Canadian stuff, it’s great to have.”