It was the 2007-2008 season.
Fifteen years ago Kelowna Rockets forward Colin Long just missed winning the Western Hockey League scoring title.
The 19-year-old was one point shy.
Chilliwack Bruins forward Mark Santorelli earned 101 points that season, with Long, just edged out with 100.
Even in the 2002-2003 campaign, on the way to the Rockets’ first WHL title, forward Jesse Schultz amassed 104 points to lead the team in scoring, four points shy of league-scoring champion Erik Christensen of the Kamloops Blazers.
No player wearing Kelowna Rockets colours has ever earned the Bobby Clarke Trophy, given to the league-scoring champion.
In 2022-2023, Andrew Cristall is doing his best to change that.
The dynamic 17-year-old sophomore forward enters the Christmas break with 55 points (21+34=55), which is good for second in the league scoring behind consensus number-one draft-eligible Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats.
Amazingly, both players are just 17.
Typically, the league scoring title is earned by 19 and 20-year-old players.
“It would be cool to catch him”, Cristall admitted to RocketFAN. “It is something I have in the back of my mind and something that is pushing me for sure.”
Bedard, who is playing for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick has a nine-point lead, with Cristall having played one more game.
“I am not really expecting to catch him later this season, but if I do it would be pretty cool.”
Why is the 2021-2022 Western Conference Rookie of the Year having so much offensive success this season?
Head Coach Kris Mallette says a high hockey IQ doesn’t hurt.
“Offensively, he is one of the best thinkers,” Mallette told RocketFAN. “We talk about option A. He is B,C,D. When it comes to hockey IQ, I would put him with Cal Foote and Rourke Chartier. Cal [Foote] had the brain of a coach, and Rourke [Chartier] just gave you what you always wanted. AC thinks the game new age.”
Leading the team in shots on net (122) is one reason why the Burnaby, BC-born product has scored the fourth most goals (21) in the WHL, and having been kept off the score sheet just six times in 29 games also doesn’t hurt.
“Sometimes the first play is the right option”, Cristall admitted when analyzing his play. “If I am doing too much, I can get carried away and making not good reads. Making too many plays can hurt me sometimes.”
If the award for team MVP in the first half of the season were to be handed out, Cristall would be the clear winner. When you lead the Rockets in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus (+17), you’ve pretty much demonstrated that you are doing the heavy lifting.
“I think the break [Christmas] is good for us”, Cristall added. “We all get to go back home and see our families. I am looking forward to it, then again, I am excited to get back and play some more hockey games once it’s over.”
Cristall better enjoy the holiday break, he could play for Canada at the world junior’s in the not-so-distant future.
“Hopefully that is a problem I face that I can miss the break to be there”, Cristall said with a glimmer in his eyes. “I think that [tournament] would be pretty special. I wouldn’t want the break if I could play there.”
Will he watch captain Colton Dach play at this year’s event?
“Oh, 100 percent”, Cristall said without hesitation. “I watch it every year”.
The scouts are watching and taking note of a dynamic player that could be chosen in the opening round of next June’s NHL Draft.
“We have been in so many, tight one-loss games. I think we are a lot stronger team than our record shows. We just need to prove that in the second half.”
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