While the majority of the hockey world is waiting to get back on the ice, former Prince Albert Raiders forward Brayden Watts has begun his journey into the professional ranks.
A little over nine months after his final WHL contest against the Winnipeg Ice, the 21-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif. made his debut in the ECHL last Friday night for the Wichita Thunder.
“None of us on the team had ever been off for as long we’ve been, so it took a few shifts to get back into the swing of things, but it was kind of like riding a bike again as the game went along,” Watts said.
“We were supposed to start our training camp about two weeks before our first game, but it ended up being pushed back, so we only had about four or five days of skating until our first game. We didn’t have much time to build our chemistry, but luckily we have a couple of weeks to work on that before we play again.”
Watts and his Thunder teammates were able to start the 2020-21 campaign on a winning note as they came away with a 3-2 shootout triumph over the host Tulsa Oilers.
“We knew that it was going to be a tough game with the limited amount of practices that we had, but luckily we were able to come away with the win, which was a great feeling for all of us on the team,” said Watts, who was on a line with Bemidji State Beavers alumni Jay Dickman and one-time U Sports MVP Anthony Beauregard.
“It was a little bit faster from what I’m used to, but I felt like I adjusted to it well as the night went on. It’s definitely a man’s game up at this level, especially as I’m coming from being one of the oldest guys in the WHL to being one of the youngest guys in the ECHL.”
Watts does have a familiar face to help him through this process, as he’s been reunited with former Moose Jaw Warriors teammate Chantz Petruic.
After three dominant seasons with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers, the 21-year-old from Moose Jaw signed a contract with the Thunder last week and scored a goal in his debut.
“When I saw that Chantz got invited to our training camp, I texted him right away and we talked for a bit before he got here,” Watts said.
“He had a really good camp to make the team and now we’re roommates here in Wichita, which is something I don’t think either of us could have imagined when we were playing in Moose Jaw a few years ago.”
After the 2019-20 WHL season was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Watts took his time before signing a contract with the Thunder in October.
“There was really no need to rush into things, especially as no one really knew what was going to happen during the early part of the off-season,” said Watts, who is also expected to attend training camp for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors later this season. “Once the ECHL was starting to get things set in stone, we decided to move forward with the opportunity here.
“I was a little nervous coming here as this first time in a few seasons that I’ve joined a new team as a younger guy, but everything’s been great so far. What’s really stood out to me is how welcoming the older players and the coaching staff have been to the new faces, which I think is really going to help players like Chantz and I as we get used to being in the league.”
A third round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft, Watts had 161 points in 315 regular season games over five seasons with the Warriors, Vancouver Giants and the Raiders.
Following a trip to the league final in 2019 with the Giants, Watts was dealt to the Raiders last September and put up a career high 61 points in 61 regular season games.
“There’s no one specific journey to get to the top levels in the world of hockey and I think that’s something that’s really stood out to me as I’ve made my way to Wichita,” Watts said. “You get to see a lot of different things and go to a lot of different places, whether you end up choosing to go to the WHL like I did or take another route.
“I learned a lot during my time in the WHL, especially from guys like Brayden Point in Moose Jaw, Jared Dmytriw in Vancouver and even this past season from Zack (Hayes) and Jeremy (Masella) when I got to Prince Albert. They all worked hard every day to get where they are at and there were so many little things that I was able to take from them that I was able to use with my game.”
