If you ask Kelowna Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton about the future of the franchise, he’ll rattle off names like Scott Cousins, Marcus Pacheco and maybe even new goaltender Jari Kykkanen.
But if you drill down a little on the veteran GM, he’ll smile, laugh a little and mention one name.
“Cristall,” Hamilton told Global News. “He’s going to be something very, very special.”
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At just 16 years old, Andrew Cristall, Kelowna’s first-round pick and eighth overall in the WHL draft, is already something special according to Rockets head coach Kris Mallette.
“Special young player, for sure. He’s got a mind unlike a lot of other players within our league,” Mallette said.
If you’ve had the pleasure of watching the Burnaby, B.C., product play, you probably know that Cristall is pretty special, too.
“Some of the plays he makes out on the ice … as a staff, we sit there and are just like, ‘Wow, this is pretty impressive,” said Mallette.
With 10 goals and 13 assists in his rookie season, Cristall represents a new generation of hockey players, one that doesn’t care for the ‘old game.’
“Definitely. Growing up, I wasn’t really into that old school hockey,” Cristall told Global News.
Cristall’s play is new school: Artistic and creative, as he models himself after his idol, Patrick Kane.
“Trying to find new ways to score is a big part of my game,” Cristall said.
During practice and even in the pre-game skate, Cristall attempts to push the envelope of traditional hockey, mimicking new moves that he’s seen online or in the NHL.
“I just watch a bunch of hockey,” Cristall laughs. “Every night, if there are NHL games on, I’ll turn it on, YouTube videos and all that kind of stuff.”
But what makes Cristall the franchise’s future is that he already possesses the skills to execute those plays during the game.
“Trying new things, like, whatever it is, using the boards, the edge of my stick all that kind of stuff,” Cristall said of scoring goals.
Case in point would be when Cristall, who played lacrosse growing up, scored a lacrosse-style goal — snapping up the puck behind Portland’s goal and balancing it precariously on his stick blade before slinging it into the Winterhawks’ net.
“A couple of years ago, you’d have sprayed him with ketchup and mustard for being a hot dog,” Hamilton said of the goal.
“Now that’s part of the game and they’ve got all kinds of things they do.”
However, to prevent Cristall’s head from soaring into the stratosphere, Mallette had a few words to bring the young forward back down to earth.
“He still has a few warts in his game, to say the least,” said Mallette, always the straight shooter.
While Cristall is still learning the game, it’s easy to see that he’s well ahead of most in his age bracket.
“He’s going to be a guy that people come to see specifically,” Hamilton said.
“As his game gets better, he’s only going to get better because his mind is already going that fast.”
Kelowna (16-10-1-3) is in action twice this weekend, as the Rockets host the Victoria Royals (12-14-4-0) on Friday and Saturday at Prospera Place. Both games start at 7:05 p.m.
The Rockets haven’t played since Jan. 8, a 3-1 home-ice loss to Portland. A pair of back-to-back games in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols stemming from the Cougars.
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