PENTICTON – Kellan Tochkin is only 20, and a baby-faced 20 at that, but he can tell you about the ups and downs of the hockey world better than most.
The Abbotsford native was a high pick in the bantam draft, he failed to catch on with Everett as a 16-year-old. The next year he was the highest-scoring rookie in the WHL. Then he was passed over in the NHL draft.
But his hometown heroes, the Vancouver Canucks, immediately signed him to an amateur tryout, then a free-agent pro deal.
Then a poor showing at last year’s Young Stars tournament.
Back in junior, his points production continued to sag and he was traded to Medicine Hat.
Monday afternoon, he had an outing that could make one forget all that, playing on the club’s top line in a 4-3 overtime win over the Flames and chipping in with a goal.
“Last year was one of the biggest disasters I’ve had in my playing profession, aside from not playing in the Western League at 16,” Tochkin said. “It was a big blow to my confidence.
“The funny thing about hockey is sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. Last year was really good for me, figuring out how to deal with that.
“Especially at the American League or ECHL or the NHL, it’s so hard to stay on an even keel. You have to be mentally tough.
“I just really tried to come into [Monday's game] with that mentality.
“Obviously [Mike] Gillis, [Alain] Vigneault, I think every GM and coach, actually, of the five teams here are watching.
“They see all the good things and they see all the bad things.”
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