Blazers head coach Shaun Clouston says Stankoven is the most impressive 16 year old he's coached in the WHL (Image Credit: Allen Douglas / Kamloops Blazers)

By Chad Klassen

SEASON OPENER FRIDAY

Stankoven leads youth movement that gives Blazers deep team entering season

Sep 19, 2019 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — A young, speedy, hard-working team has people excited about a good season ahead.

A perfect preseason, coupled with last year’s late-season run, will do that. But nowhere is that excitement more evident than people’s faith in Logan Stankoven, the local boy who led the WHL in preseason scoring.

“It’s big for sure, but it’s still preseason. We’ll get a good first taste of what the regular season’s going to be starting Friday night,” said the 16-year-old Stankoven. “All the guys are excited for that in the room, myself included.”

Stankoven had eight goals and 15 points in six preseason games. His coach, Shaun Clouston, says in 18 seasons of WHL coaching he hasn’t seen a 16 year old like Stankoven.

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“We’ve had some really good 16 year olds on different teams that I’ve been on, but this is very impressive. This is a great start for him, showed lots of really good things,” noted Clouston. “I’ve said it a bunch, and I’ll say it again. Obviously his skill level is very high. For his age, he’s very skilled. What I’m even more impressed about with him is his work ethic.”

Stankoven’s linemate, 20-year-old veteran Zane Franklin, added: “We all know how skilled he is, but he’s smart. He works hard. He puts himself in good spots, and he’s easy to play with. He likes to talk about plays. He asks a lot of questions, so he’s easy to play with.”

He’s made it easy on Franklin and fellow linemate Orrin Centazzo, who has compiled 10 points during the exhibition season, while Franklin has tallied 12. The trio will start together on Friday night against Spokane.

“We’ve always been on the same page, and if we’re not we talk about it,” said the forward from Marwayne, Alberta, where Centazzo, his cousin, resides as well. “We’re not the biggest line, so we’ve got to work a little bit harder and I think that’s starting to pay off.”

Clouston notes, “They’ve been dynamite. They’ve been a great line. They’ve worked hard very hard for what they’ve got, but they’ve done a good job sharing the puck and using each other.”

Franklin, who’s been on a pair of teams in Lethbridge that went to conference finals, says this is the deepest team he’s played on.

“All six D-men, all 12 forwards, both goalies, you could go on and one,” he said. “It’s really deep. I’d feel confident any line going against any top line in the league.”

Stankoven is right at the top of that depth chart, giving hope the Blazers can make a good run this season.