Former WHS standout gets shot with Avs

PALMER — During his days with the Wasilla High hockey program, Trent Wohlers would spend time skating with the Alaska Avalanche. He played in the Junior Avalanche youth hockey association and often thought he’d jump in with the Avs Junior A team after his prep career.

But after Wohlers opted to forego his senior season of high school hockey in favor of juniors, Alaska’s rival, the Kenai River Brown Bears, snagged the versatile defenseman. But now, Wohlers has his chance to skate with the Avs.

This past week, Alaska signed the Wasilla product and Wohlers has been added to the Avalanche roster.

“This is an opportunity for Trent, we are excited to have him,” Alaska head coach Brian Huebel said Thursday.

Wohlers started his rookie season with the Bears and skated in 28 games. But right after the North American Hockey League trade deadline, Kenai River opted to release the 5-foot-10, 175-pound defenseman.

Huebel said the addition of Wohlers fills a few needs for the Avs. Wohlers will be able to added depth to the blue line of the Avs, who lost first-year defenseman Casey Nelson to a season-ending injury. There are attributes of Wohlers the Avs coaches like as well.

“He’ll bring a little bit of the warrior mentality to the team that we can use,” Huebel said. “He can get up and down the ice, he’s got a heavy shot.”

In 28 games, Wohlers chipped in four assists. He collected 83 penalty minutes and logged a minus-11 rating.

Huebel and the Avs coaching staff are very familiar with Wohlers watching him as a prep and comp player in addition to his practice time with the Avs. Huebel said there is an obvious learning curve for athletes making the jump to juniors, especially like Wohlers, who is a high-school-aged senior.

“We’re hoping Trent can minimize that curve down the road and be an impact in our lineup,” Wohlers said.

Wohlers was a standout at Wasilla, earning first-team all-state and North Star Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior. He also helped Wasilla win the NSC title. Wohlers played up front as a prep, leading the team with 50 points his junior year, but has been on the back line throughout his youth and comp careers. Wohlers is also a former high school teammate of Avalanche forward Matt Friese. Wohlers and Friese routinely played on the same time together while Friese was a freshman.

Huebel said he is disappointed to lose Nelson for the season, but sees promise in the Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc., native. In 29 games, Nelson collected a goal and five assists. He was also a minus-5 with only eight penalty minutes.

“This will be a big summer for him. Once he gets healed and rehabbed, he’ll need to put in good time (in the offseason). I know he’ll put in good time,” Huebel said. “I know he’ll be good to go coming back.”

Nelson is the younger brother of Josh Nelson, a former Fairbanks Ice Dogs standout who now plays for Division I Minnesota State of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

“We think he’s going to be a better athlete that Josh,” Huebel said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.