Logan Stankoven (left) and Carter Streek have started to skate as part of a group of junior and pro players who call Kamloops home (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

SUMMER SKATING

Kamloops hockey players back on the ice to prepare for their seasons

Jul 3, 2020 | 1:55 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been three and a half months since Kevin Davis last skated. The property of the Colorado Avalanche is easing back into it.

“Feet hurt a lot. But it’s just nice to get out here with these young guys and feel the ice, feel the puck,” noted Davis.

The 23-year-old Davis will be going into his third year of pro. He’s split the last two seasons between the Colorado Eagles in the AHL and Utah Grizzles in the ECHL.

Logan Stankoven is also part of this elite group of 20 players. The Blazers forward is just carrying on the on-ice training he’s already been doing this summer.

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“I was pretty lucky. Last month, the whole month of June, I got to go down to Vancouver and train with Ian Gallagher, so I kind of got a head-start on the guys back home,” he said. “But it’s always nice to come back and see all the guys again and training with guys I’ve grown up with over the years.”

There are pro players like Davis, as well as WHL and BCHL guys. Sixteen year old Carter Streek is among the youngest players out there. Streek is getting ready for his first training camp with the Saskatoon Blades.

“Lots of edge work. Just getting back into it since we’ve been off for so long. Get the cardio back up, shoot some pucks,” said Streek, who was traded to Saskatoon from Portland, the team that drafted him in the fourth round, 80th overall in 2019. “It’s been awesome. I have been lucky enough to skate for the last couple months, but I had the two-month break when everything was going crazy. But it’s good to be back out, especially being a younger guy playing with all the older guys.”

The ice times are organized every year by Matt Kolle. It was perfect timing with the ice going in at McArthur Island on Monday. Kolle says the level of hockey talent in Kamloops is ever-growing.

“The talent pool in Kamloops right now is at such a high. I was able to put together multiple groups of top-end hockey players,” said Kolle, the Kamloops Storm GM who’s son Ty plays for the Everett Silvertips. “So the group that’s on the ice, we call it Junior-Pro. The calibre from every kid on the ice, you have a couple new signings, BCHL signings in Reagan Milburn and Ashton Taylor, all the way up to Kevin Davis in the American Hockey League.”

But the players don’t have any certainty about their upcoming seasons. The WHL has set an Oct. 2 date. The BCHL is also hopeful to start in October. The American Hockey League will wait to align with the beginning of the 2020-21 NHL season.

“I haven’t heard much or anything,” said Davis. “So just preparing as much as I can for if it starts up normally. But we’ll see.”