Former Telus Cup opponents meet in Memorial Cup semifinal

RED DEER, AB – Despite playing in different leagues, defenceman Colton Bobyk of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels and Julien Nantel of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies have faced each other before on a national stage.

A native of Red Deer, Bobyk was a member of the Red Deer Chiefs team that won the 2013 TELUS Cup title in Sault Ste. Marie while Nantel won a bronze medal with the Laval-Montreal Rousseau Royal.

After posting 32 points in 31 regular season games and adding 15 more in 10 playoff games, Bobyk scored two goals and nine points in the TELUS Cup, including a pair of assists in Red Deer’s 5-0 win in the championship game over the Ottawa Jr. 67’s. Bobyk was named the Chiefs player of the game in the final.

Bobyk said earlier in the week that the TELUS Cup compared to the Memorial Cup is very different and his coach with the Rebels agreed.

“It’s a completely different animal,” Rebels General Manager/Coach Brent Sutter said. “Anytime you’re involved in something where you have some success or you get to play in at the highest level, you can use some of that to your advantage but it’s such a different level.”

“Playing midget hockey and coming to major junior is like going from major junior to playing pro,” Sutter added. “It’s a huge difference in every aspect.”

Nantel had the game-winning goal in the bronze medal game in Laval-Montreal’s 3-2 win over the Saskatoon Contacts.

Nantel had 19 goals and 40 points in 36 games in his final midget season before adding six goals and 17 points in 17 playoff games. In the TELUS Cup, Nantel had five goals and 10 points in seven games.

Rouyn-Noranda General Manager/Coach Gilles Bouchard spoke highly of the veteran forward who has played his entire QMJHL career with the Huskies.

“He brings a lot of speed,” Bouchard said of the veteran forward. “He’s strong physically in one-on-one battles.

“He’s a good kid and has a good attitude,” Bouchard also said.

Nantel had 22 goals and 46 points in 52 regular season games with the Huskies before adding four goals and eight points in 20 playoff games as the Huskies won the QMJHL title. Nantel’s lone goal in the Memorial Cup came in the Huskies 5-2 loss in the round robin to Red Deer.

Bobyk finished the WHL regular season with 20 goals and 47 points in 72 games before adding two goals and eight points in 15 playoff games.

“His goals are contributed from his shot,” Sutter said of the veteran blueliner. “He’s not a rusher with the puck. He’s a guy that, along the blueline, can pound pucks. You’ve got to use those things to your advantage from a coaching perspective and play him in the right situations to allow him to do that.”

“He needs to continue to work on his skating, he needs to continue to work on his composure and he needs to continue to work on his training which is huge for him if he wants to get to the next level,” Sutter also said.

Bobyk’s Rebels and Nantel’s Huskies are set for the semifinal on Friday night with the winner advancing to the championship game on Sunday afternoon against the London Knights.