The Canucks have a bevy of exciting prospects at development camp this week, from new draft picks like Elias Pettersson and Kole Lind to the recently acquired via trade Jonathan Dahlen, but some of the most intriguing players at camp are not in the Canucks system at all. Those would be the unsigned and undrafted invitees hoping to catch the Canucks eye and earn a contract, or at least another invite to the prospect camp in the Fall.
Among the 15 invitees are forwards Joey Ratelle and R.T. Rice, and defenceman Simon Chen. It's immediately apparent what Ratelle is doing at camp, but the other two require a bit more explanation.
Joey Ratelle – Left Wing/Centre
5’11″ – 175 lbs – Mar 27, 1996 (21)
Otterburn Park, QC
Drummondville Voltigeurs/Chicoutimi Saguenéens (62-41-36-77)
Ratelle is coming off an impressive over-age season in the QMJHL, where he scored 41 goals in 62 games split between two clubs. He started the season as the captain of the Voltigeurs before a mid-season trade to the Saguenéens gave him a shot at a long playoff run. The Saguenéens went all the way to the Semi-Finals before falling to the eventual champion Saint John Sea Dogs.
Ratelle played a big role in that playoff run, leading the Saguenéens in goal scoring with 10 goals in 16 games, adding 7 assists as well. If the Canucks were keeping an eye on 2015 pick Dmitri Zhukenov, they would have had plenty of opportunities to watch Ratelle play.
Though not the biggest player — he’s listed at 5’10” in several locations — Ratelle doesn’t back down when challenged and had five fights this past season. Size didn’t seem to bother him: while he mostly fought players in his own weight class, he also took on 6’3” Tyler Higgins and 6’2” David Henley.
As you might guess, Ratelle is a bit of an agitator — there’s a reason he racked up 113 penalty minutes and he’s known for both big hits and big hits of questionable legality — but he’s also got speed and a scoring touch to go with it. His lower point totals throughout his QMJHL career suggest a low ceiling, but the quality of his team should be taken into consideration. When he had 52 points in 66 games in 2014-15, that led his team in scoring.
This past season, almost all of his points were primary points as well. He had just 11 secondary assists and was tied for 9th in the QMJHL in primary points. He looks even better at 5-on-5, where he was 5th in the QMJHL in primary points, as he didn’t depend on the power play to put up points. There’s a lot to like about Ratelle statistically, were it not for his age: he’s already 21.
In some ways he brings to mind Alex Burrows, another QMJHL product. Burrows had 35 goals and 70 points in 64 games in his over-age year, along with 181 penalty minutes, though penalty minute totals ran a bit higher in those days. They both play a similar high-energy, sparkplug kind of game, with speed and goalscoring a hallmark.
That’s not to say that Ratelle will have anywhere near the same career path as Burrows, who is a significant outlier, but that there’s hope for Ratelle to have a professional career. He’s fast, gritty, and can fire the puck; if he can put together a strong two-way game, he’ll be in good shape.
R.T. Rice - Right Wing
6’3″ – 195 lbs – Nov 16, 1994 (22)
Invermere, BC
University of PEI Panthers (25-6-6-12)
With most invitees, it’s clear why they are at camp. And then there are always a few head-scratchers. R.T. Rice is one of the guys that might give you an itchy scalp, as he hasn’t been a standout at any level he’s played and is currently playing for the University of PEI in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport league.
That’s not a particularly high level of competition and Rice has just 12 points in 25 games. His 85 penalty minutes are near the top of the league and he has good size, so perhaps the Canucks see a potential fourth-line grinder? I just don’t know.
In Junior A, Rice was a defenceman, but he converted to a forward for the Panthers. To his credit, he’s a strong skater and hits hard (and has a family member who diligently uploads all of his highlights to YouTube), but it’s hard to ignore how few points he’s put up against competition significantly weaker than those of other prospects. Still, as a late bloomer, it's possible that his hard-edged, physical game could catch the attention of the Canucks brass.
Fun note: he was part of a reality TV series called Hit The Ice that brought together some of the best young First Nations players in the country to train with NHL players. Rice, who has Metis heritage, was part of the first season of the program, which featured an appearance by none other than Erik Gudbranson.
Simon Chen – Defence
5’10″ – 180 lbs – Jun 26,1997 (20)
Beijing, China
Cowichan Valley Capitals (52-1-2-3)
Another head-scratching invite to camp, Simon Chen is a 20-year-old defenceman out of the BCHL, who is generously listed at 5’10” and had just 3 points in 52 games last season, his first in Junior A.
There’s nothing that suggests Chen could turn into a legitimate prospect, but when you look at where he was born, things start to fall into place.
UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that Chen definitely won't be going to China to play with the Canucks in the preseason. For some reason I forgot that doing so would impact his college eligibility and, since he's aiming for a Division 1 scholarship, he won't be doing that. Please ignore all of the following fruitless speculation.
Chen was born in Beijing, China, and is the son of new Cowichan Valley Capitals owner Ray Zhang, who has a dream of growing the game of hockey in China. The Canucks will be playing two preseason games in China against the Los Angeles Kings, one in Shanghai and one in Beijing.
Is it far-fetched to imagine the Canucks inviting Chen to their main training camp and sending him to China to play in a Canucks jersey in the preseason? That’s some instant positive PR for the Canucks in China, who you might imagine would instantly be considered the home team for having a Chinese-born player in the lineup.
To be clear, it’s not like Chen can’t play. He was on China’s U-18 team in 2015 and has hopes of representing China in the 2022 Olympics. He also appears to be the first Chinese-born player to score a goal in the BCHL.
ICYMI - Believe this is the 1st goal in the BCHL scored by a player born in China, @cowichancaps D Simon Chen: pic.twitter.com/38E7FfI3L3
— BC Hockey League (@bchllive) October 20, 2016
