Smith to join Cougars
June 9, 2009 - Regina Leader-Post
By Tim Switzer
The University of Regina Cougars men's hockey team continues to search for the answer to its scoring woes.
The Cougars finished second-last among the seven teams in Canada West last season with just 65 goals in 28 games. The year before, Regina was dead-last with 60 goals in 28 games.
Head coach Blaine Sautner hopes his first recruit for the 2009-10 season, former WHL forward Carter Smith, can help alleviate some of those pains.
The 21-year-old Smith spent five seasons in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors (whom he helped advance to the league final in 2006), Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels. His best effort came last season in Red Deer, when the 6-foot-1, 188-pounder scored 20 goals and had 38 points in 62 games.
"I'm not saying he's going to come in and score 15 or 20 for us, but if he can score from eight to 10 that would be a good first year," said Sautner. "I remember watching him when he was 17 or 18 (in Moose Jaw) and he was a fourth-line energy guy. Sometimes you get put in that role and you stay there. It's not until you get a different opportunity can you step up to more of an offensive role."
Despite the Cougars' recent offensive shortcomings, Sautner said the need to find a scorer was no bigger this season than any other. The Cougars have not finished among the top four in scoring since the 2003-04 season and have struggled to find a replacement for Jason Weitzel, who scored 21 goals in 2006-07. No Cougars player has had that many points in the two seasons that followed.
Former Regina Pats forward Kyle Ross has led Regina with 20 points in each of his first two seasons. The Cougars began to get some secondary scoring behind Ross late last season from the likes of Dustin Bru, Dillon Johnstone and Ryan Sawka.
"We've done a good job getting more Western League players into our program and last year I thought we turned the corner in terms of making a run at it," said Sautner, whose team came within a victory of reaching the conference final.
The Cougars open the Canada West regular season on Oct. 2 against the host Alberta Golden Bears.