KAMLOOPS — “With the fifth overall selection, the Kamloops Blazers are very proud to select from Kamloops, British Columbia, Logan Stankoven, Yale Hockey Academy.”
And with those words two wishes were granted.
The Blazers got the player they wanted, and Logan Stankoven got the team he wanted.
“I’ve grown up watching them for many years now,” says Logan Stankoven, ” I’ve always dreamed of wearing that “B” someday. So yeah, it’s really cool.”
With the Canadian Sports School League Yale Academy in the 2017-18 season Stankoven put up 57 goals and 90 points, in only 30 games. One general manager described him as ‘not having an off-switch.’ Perhaps given his size, at 5-8, 170 pounds, he may not be the complete package that some scouts look for. But he makes up for it with overwhelming skill.
“He’s a complete player,” says Blazers player personnel director Matt Recchi, “He’s got a sturdy build, he’s got great balance, and he’s such a competitive, fearless player, we don’t think size is an issue at all.”
“It’s the size of the drive train that really matters – he’s got a huge heart,” says Blazers coach Don Hay.
“I’m just going to try to play my game, moving my feet, moving the puck fast, getting up ice,” says Stankoven, “Try to bring that whole package. I’m not the biggest guy, but if the body needs to be thrown around, I can play that game too.”
It will be another year before Stankoven is eligible to play fulltime with the Blazers, as a 16-year old in the 2018-19 season. But he’ll be at rookie camp with Don Hay this August.
“What he brings is he makes other players better,” says Hay. “He’s a special player. He finds a way to be a factor in every game he plays in, even if he’s not playing his best, he’ll find a way to do something that can change the outcome of the game.”
Stankoven was in the middle of the game when his name was called by the Blazers this morning. He’s at the World Selects Invitational in Philadelphia, where Stankoven had two assists in a win over Sweden to improve the Pacific Selects to 2-and-0, and now has two goals and six points in two games, against some of the top 15-year old prospects in the world.
“I didn’t really know until after the game this morning,” says Stankoven, “All my teammates were congratulating me, and my Dad told me. We beat Sweden this morning 5-2 – the tournament has gone well so far – nice to hear I got drafted by the Blazers.”
