<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Camas Hitman

Cheek preparing to join WHL champion Calgary

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: July 5, 2010, 12:00am
2 Photos
Camas native Trevor Cheek will join the Western Hockey League champion Calgary Hitmen next season.
Camas native Trevor Cheek will join the Western Hockey League champion Calgary Hitmen next season. Photo Gallery

Trevor Cheek thought he had a shot to make the Portland Winterhawks last season.

That did not happen. Instead, the Camas native landed with the top franchise in the Western Hockey League.

Cheek recently signed with the WHL champion Calgary Hitmen. Come August, he will leave for the Canadian prairie as the 17-year-old pursues his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.

It’s an opportunity he is excited about, though it took a month of deliberating before he signed a contract.

Figuring into the decision was the advice from a variety of hockey people on the best route to a professional hockey career for Cheek.

Brian Cheek, Trevor’s father, said the family initially planned to wait for the United States Hockey League draft to see where Trevor landed. The USHL, with teams predominantly in the Midwest, is the top USA-based junior league for players ages 16-20.

Ultimately, family and son decided that waiting on the USHL Draft would not be fair to Calgary general manager Kelly Kisio, or to the USHL teams. As Brian noted, the Hitmen would not have flown the Cheeks to Calgary during the WHL playoffs if they were not serious about having Trevor on board.

“It’s an opportunity to contribute right away for a very good franchise,” Brian Cheek said.

Spending his senior year of high school away from home will be nothing new for Trevor. He has spent the past two winters in Phoenix, playing for the P.F. Chang’s-sponsored youth hockey program. Leaving home at age 15 is not unusual in hockey circles.

Two season’s ago he played for Chang’s under-16 team. This past winter he jumped to the under-18 squad exclusively.

“I got a lot faster, and my mental approach got a lot better” this past season, Trevor Cheek said.

A year ago, Trevor returned home at the end of the hockey season and played baseball for Camas High School. This year, he remained in Phoenix, finally giving up baseball to focus on hockey.

Yes, he missed out on the Papermakers’ run to second place in the state tournament. But it was a worthwhile tradeoff, Cheek said.

“I missed baseball a lot this year, but I definitely had to (stay in Phoenix),” Trevor said.

Because, for Trevor, there’s nothing like ice hockey.

“There’s nothing more fun than being on the ice,” he said.

The decision about whose ice to play on next season wasn’t easy. By signing with the Hitmen, Cheek gave up his NCAA eligibility. He can still play college hockey in Canada.

Kisio, the Calgary general manager, spotted Cheek at a tournament last fall and soon placed Cheek on the Hitmen’s protected list.

“We think he’s going to be a high-end guy for us,” Kisio said. “He’ll get a lot of playing time and have a chance to get drafted high (by an NHL team).”

Kisio said he liked Cheek’s overall game and versatility.

“He can play center or wing. He plays the point on the power play. He’s a very good skater for his size, and he can shoot it a ton,” Kisio said.

Cheek said he felt good about his play in the Winterhawks three-day training camp last August. But the rebuilding Hawks had a crowd of young forwards the same age as Cheek, who is entering his 18-year-old hockey season. Winterhawks head coach and general manager Mike Johnston told Cheek he would be better served playing somewhere where he could get regular ice time, and play in key situations.

“He probably could’ve played for us if the situation was different,” Johnston said. “He’s a big player. I thought he was really good in camp. The difficulty for us is we had a lot of 1992-born players.”

Cheek said he is looking forward to playing in a hockey hotbed — even if the weather will be a drastic change from two winters in Arizona. He is also looking forward to playing against a team he grew up watching.

“I’m excited to play against Portland,” he said.

The Hitmen are expected to play one game at Portland next season, though the schedule hasn’t yet been announced.

Loading...
Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter