Logan Stankoven celebrating one of his 29 during his WHL rookie season (Image Credit: Allen Douglas / Kamloops Blazers)

By Chad Klassen

LOGAN STANKOVEN

‘We could’ve easily still been playing hockey now’: Stankoven blessed in rookie season with special Blazers group

May 15, 2020 | 4:37 PM

KAMLOOPS — Logan Stankoven would trade his stellar rookie season any day for a chance to still be playing hockey.

The WHL Final would just be wrapping up with the Memorial Cup in Kelowna exactly a week away. He thought the Blazers had a chance to make a long playoff run.

“It’s really too bad. I’ve thought quite a bit about it, the season that we could’ve had. We could’ve easily still been playing hockey now,” said the Kamloops native who just wrapped up his 16-year-old rookie season. “It’s out of our control and we have to move forward, look forward to next season.”

Stankoven feels the Blazers had a special group with a good mix of veteran and young players. He learned a ton from captain Zane Franklin, as well as the other 20-year-old trade acquisitions, Max Martin and Ryan Hughes.

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He’s hoping to build off what he and the Blazers accomplished this season. The now 17 year old tied for tops in rookie goal-scoring with 29 tallies. He was nominated as the Western Conference Rookie of the Year, but ultimately lost out to Dylan Guenther from Edmonton.

“Congrats to Dylan on that award. Obviously it’s pretty special for him to win the rookie of the year for the Western league. It’s pretty cool to see him win it,” said Stankoven. “At the same time, it would’ve been nice to win that award, but I don’t really focus too much on that.”

The Kamloops native tied Rob Brown’s single-season goal-scoring record for a 16 year old with his 29 this season. He needed just one goal in the final five games to break it.

“It would’ve been nice obviously to beat his record, but it’s just pretty nice to be named with those type of players back in their day because I’ve heard nothing but great things about them when they played for this organization,” said Stankoven.

Stankoven is already looking ahead to next year. With gyms being closed across the province, he’s been doing alternate workouts from a distance every day and also working out at home.

“I’ve got a pretty good setup downstairs,” he said. “I got a bunch of weight from my trainer [Kevin Brechin] when all the gyms shut down. I also got some weights from down at the rink here. It’s pretty nice to have a little setup down there. I just go down there and try and work out at least once a day. Stay in shape, get stronger each and every day.”

Stankoven is preparing as if there will be a Western Hockey League season next year with no indication if and when that will happen.