Welcome to this edition of “From The Archive”. In this recurring series, we open The Hockey News’ vault and display some of the top WHL-related articles from the past. Today’s article comes from May 1, 2007, where Rob Vanstone wrote about Calgary Hitmen defenceman Karl Alzner.
Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here and read the full issue here.
KARL ALZNER’S OWN NHL DRAFT PREVIEW preceded this publication by a year. The Calgary Hitmen defenseman attended last year’s proceedings in Vancouver, even though he was not draft-eligible until 2007.
“It was at GM Place and that’s 15 or 20 minutes away from my house, so I zipped over there and watched all my buddies walk up there and saw how they went through it,” recalled Alzner, who hails from Burnaby, B.C.
In the process, Alzner got a taste of the butterflies.
“I even felt nervous sitting there.” said Alzner, who was born nine days after the 2006 draft eligibility cutoff of Sept. 15, 1988. “You still get a bit giddy and jumpy and anxious.”
Alzner isn’t likely to experience an extended period of anxiety before being chosen. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder was eighth overall in mid-season rankings of North American-based skaters appraised by NHL Central Scouting. He typically plays 35 to 40 minutes per game
“It’s automatic to put him out there in any situation,” said Hitmen coach-GM Kelly Kisio. “He never says no. He never says he’s too tired. He just keeps going back out.”
Kisio expects Alzner to become a bulwark in the big leagues – but when? Asked if Alzner could crack an NHL lineup at 19, Kisio chuckled and said: “Only if you want to give me a heart attack.” A more likely scenario, as outlined by Kisio, calls for Alzner to spend another year in the WHL before proceeding to the pro minors.
“He’s going to be a great pro, just the way he carries himself,” Kisio said. “I don’t see why he won’t be a 15-year pro and put those kind of numbers up as far as ice time in the NHL. He’s a great skater and his capacity for work is huge.”
Now he needs to expand his repertoire.
“A lot of times, he just wants to make the safe play and sit back instead of joining the rush and creating some offense that way,” Kisio said. “If he can put himself out of that comfort zone and get a little crazy once in a while, I think it’ll help him down the road.”
Alzner became more of a factor in his third WHL season, registering eight goals and 47 points in 63 games, but he still espouses a defense-first philosophy.
“It’s the way I’ve grown up,” he said. “I’ve always played hockey really safe.”
It is not safe to assume Alzner is a passive player despite this season’s modest penalty-minute total (32).
“He’s an aggressive player, but he plays within the rules,” one NHL scout said. “He has good positioning so he’s not going to take penalties like hooking and holding. He’s one of those players you don’t want fighting and taking penalties because you want him on the ice. He doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but he’s good at everything. (Although) he moves the puck out of his end, he’s not flashy and he’s not going to go end-to-end, but at the end of the night he’ll have a couple of assists because he makes good decisions.”
He also makes for a good teammate. He is as quick to interact with both rookies and veterans.
“I think I’m super-easy to approach and talk to,” Alzner said. “I never shun anybody.”
Nor does he get shunned. He even chatted with Joe Sakic, who is also from Burnaby, when the Colorado Avalanche visited Calgary. Such are the perks of playing junior in a big-league facility like the Saddledome.
“You see Iginla, Sakic, Gretzky all these guys, “Alzner marvelled. “You’re really star-struck at first, but it’s kind of cool that they’re one level above where we are right now.”
He’s a great skater and his capacity for work is HUGE
Alzner is about to move one important step closer.
“I’ve been waiting for this for years and years,” Alzner said of the draft. “I’m happy now that I finally get my chance. It couldn’t come quickly enough.”
Make sure you bookmark THN’s WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Read more on Yahoo Sports Canada
