Chase Schaber was the captain of the most successful Kamloops Blazers team in recent history.
The native of Red Deer, Alberta was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen as an 18-year-old at the trade deadline along with defenceman Austin Madaisky, and he proceeded to serve as captain for the two full seasons he played in Kamloops.
“I remember when I was 19 years old (Head Coach) Guy Charron brought me into his office and told me that I was going to be the captain and I was pretty excited,” Schaber said. “Just looking back at all the captains that came through Kamloops, a lot of tremendous players that played in the NHL and had some outstanding careers and went on to be some of the greats.”
In Schaber’s first season as captain the Blazers missed the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history, but the team had a much different fate the following season.
The Blazers won 47 games in 2011-12 to win the B.C. Division for the first time since 2002. The Blazers defeated the Victoria Royals in the first round of playoffs, which was the first time Kamloops won a playoff series since 1999.
The Blazers lost in seven games to the Portland Winterhawks in the second round, which included the incredible five-goal third period in game six to extend the series.
Unfortunately for Schaber, a leg injury sustained in the third game against the Royals kept him out of the series. In addition, the Blazers were without star goaltender Cole Cheveldave who was injured in the first game against Portland.
“Who knows what could’ve happened if I stayed in the lineup and our starting goaltender was still in. It was one of the most fun years for sure,” Schaber recalled.
As a captain, it was important for Schaber that the rookies felt comfortable and confident making the jump to the Western Hockey League.
As a 16-year-old rookie with the Hitmen, Schaber did not like how he was treated by the veterans and took it upon himself to ensure a different experience when he stepped into a leadership role.
“I took that and said ‘I’m not going to let my rookies go through that’,” Schaber said. “I want my team to be good, I want my team to be confident because it makes a huge difference when you’ve got some rookies out there that feel confident enough to make a play.”
Current Blazers captain Matt Needham was a beneficiary of Schaber’s leadership, and said it is something he is now trying to emulate with the current rookies.
“I know it was huge for me. Somebody that takes an interest in you, shows that he cares, gives you pointers, helps you out when you might not know what to do, so it’s definitely big. He took me under his wing, I was like his little brother,” Needham said. “He was a great guy, great captain, and he led the right way.”
Now, Schaber is entering his fourth year of professional hockey, and he is working to continuously improve and make the jump to the next level.
“My goal every year in pro is to keep going up, to keep improving, and to keep getting better. I’m still a student of the game and I always will be so every time I go to the rink I want to work my hardest,” he said.
He played one season at the University of Lethbridge before joining the East Coast Hockey League’s Idaho Steelheads at the end of the year.
The next year he played 64 games in the ECHL, scoring 18 goals and 44 points with the Bakersfield Condors.
Last season he played in 51 games with the Condors tallying 33 points. His play earned him a call up to the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, the minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. He had one assist in 13 games for the Barons.
“It was good. I enjoyed my time in Oklahoma City,” Schaber said. “I only played 13 games, so I didn’t get the sniff I wanted to but I got just enough to get the experience where I know what I have to do when I get my next call up.”
This season, Schaber will join a new team as the Condors replaced the Barons as Edmonton’s affiliate. He joins the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, a franchise who is led in career goals and games played by another former Blazers captain, Ajay Baines.
“We’ve got a real good coach (Eric Veilleux) and he’s set the bar here in Norfolk for a real hard working team,” Schaber said. “I think we’re going to have a good team this year, we’re going to be expected to win. Training camp so far has been high intensity, we’ve got good players, we’ve got good goaltender, and I’m looking forward to my fourth year of pro and making that next jump up.”
Schaber and the Admirals will open the regular season on Friday, October 16th against the Wheeling Nailers.
A History of Blazers Captains:
