Calgary Kids - Zach Olsen

A Calgary takeover in Toontown.

With a handful of players on the Saskatoon Blades roster hailing from the local area, three were listed on NHL Central Scouting’s final draft rankings: Zach Olsen, Cooper Williams, and Brayden Klimpke.

For Olsen and Williams, they were a part of the group of prospects invited to the NHL Combine last week in Buffalo, cultivating a journey that goes back to their minor hockey days.

“They are going through the same process I am so it's definitely nice getting to bounce questions off them,” Olsen said of his teammates. “Me and Cooper grew up playing with each other and against each other, I've known him for a long time.

“When we both seen our names get picked by the Blades a few years back, we were definitely super excited.”

Since breaking into the WHL last year, Olsen quickly showcased his mix of speed and physicality, being a force to be reckoned with while on the forecheck and equipped with a quick wrister.

This past season saw him build on his rookie campaign, posting 34 points (18G, 16A) in 57 games while chipping in with six points in 10 playoff tilts. His game caught the eye of scouts and earned him a ranking of 36th among North American skaters. 

“I thought it was a good season for myself,” he said. “I didn't get to produce as many points as I was hoping to but with that being said, I still thought that I played a big role on our team other than just getting points.

“From a team standpoint, I thought we did really well this year. We definitely had our ups and downs throughout the season, but I think we turned it up when we needed to most. That Edmonton first-round series, it was great getting able to go in there and kind of upset them so that was definitely lots of fun.”

As the NHL Draft inches closer, Olsen has kept himself busy hitting the links with friends and family trying to sink that coveted hole-in-one, while also deep into his off-season training to prep for a big year making the jump from the WHL to NCAA.

The 18-year-old is committed to Colorado College for the upcoming season, taking the path many CHL’ers have taken the past few years, to elevate his game to the next level.

“I got to fly down there, visit the campus and meet with the coaches,” he said.” I thought I built a great relationship with all the coaches there and a big part for me (committing) would just be the belief that they have in me and the plan that they have for me as well.”