FORWARD THINKING

PALMER — Alaska head coach Brian Huebel and assistant Sean Fish know how they want their players to work inside the offensive zone. There are systems in place, but they want to see some creativity as well.

“We want the kids to be creative in the offensive zone,” Huebel said. “There are a couple of stipulations we have as a coach, but for the most part we want them to be as creative as they want to be.”

Huebel hopes that combination will help the Avs build on the offensive success they enjoyed last year. The Avs popped in nearly 3.5 pucks per game last year, good for sixth in the 19-team North American Hockey League season. It marked the first time the squad had finished the season averaging more than three goals per game since the Tier II Junior A team came to the Valley.

“We want them to score goals and have a fun time doing,” Huebel said.

Leading Alaska’s offensive charge is third-year forward Zach Smith, who led the team with 48 points and finished third in the NAHL with 30 goals.

“He’s a gamer,” Huebel said of Smith, who will also serve as the team’s captain. “He’ll pretty much stop at no end to try to succeed.”

Smith could be joined by newcomers Derek Whitehill and Wehebe Darge on the top line.

Whitehill, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, posted 7-13-20 totals during 45 games with the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

Darge comes to the Valley from Adelaide, South Australia, where he led the Adelaide Adrenaline to the Australian Ice Hockey League title game.

“He’s been a very, very pleasant surprise,” Huebel said of Darge, who was recommended by a colleague. “He’s crafty, strong on his skates. He moves the puck well. You can tell in practice he has a scoring touch.”

Second-year forward Seth Johnson and Anchorage native Grant Dye should also be featured on Alaska’s top two lines. Johnson posted six goals and 11 assists in 47 games as a rookie. Dye finished with 7-8-15 totals in 52 games with Alexandria last season.

Smith and Johnson are among a half-dozen forwards back with the Avs this season. Former Colony High standout Blake Huppert, one of Alaska’s top rookies last season, returns after posting 13-21-34 totals a year ago. Huppert was sixth on the team in scoring.

Andy Pearson (2-10-12), Tyler Schwartz (2-8-10) and Jake Barber (5-3-8) also return.

Brandon Hogrefe comes to Alaska on the heels of producing 19 points and 121 penalty minutes for the Flint Jr. Generals of the Tier III Central States Junior Hockey League last year. First-year forwards Charlie Borer (Minneapolis, Minn.), Evan Hesse (Monticello, Minn.), Will Martin (Clear Lake, Iowa) and Dane Morin (Superior, Wisc.) will make the jump from high school hockey to Tier II Junior A.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.