This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:Published: August 23, 2009 6:00 AM
David Robinson’s reputation as a natural-born leader was quickly put into play by the Chilliwack Bruins last season.
With Jadon Potter going down with a season-ending injury, the already struggling Bruins were left without a captain. They had earlier been basically pillaged when superstar Oscar Moeller made the L.A. Kings and sniper Evan Pighin bolted for the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies.
Enter Robinson, a work-till-ya-drop forward who had guided teams in Major Midget and Bantam. He took a turn as a rotating captain in Chilliwack.
“It was nice to be one of the leaders in only my second year and I got to wear the C for a little bit as an 18-year-old which was maybe a little surprising, but I’ve always been a leader on every team I’ve been on,” said Robinson, who compiled 11 goals and 17 points last season.
“It was a bit tougher leading a team that wasn’t getting in the win column every night, but I did my best to try and keep the young guys up and sort of show them even though you’re losing, you have to keep going. I had fun being a leader and having a letter on my jersey, I just felt guys looked up to me and it was nice.”
Robinson and good buddy James Dobrowolski (traded from Prince Albert to Prince George in the offseason) spent the summer laying irrigation pipe at Coldstream Ranch. They worked the early-morning shift and then hit the gym at noon.
The grandson of the late Vern Dye, who helped found the BCHL, the 5-foot-10 Robinson has added some muscle so is at the Bruins’ camp this weekend at 188 pounds, 10 more than he played at last year. He plans to be more of his old pest self all season.
“Hopefully, I have two good years here. We just hired an awesome coach in what I hear, in (Marc) Habscheid, and it’s looking good for us in Chilliwack. I hope to put up some big numbers this year and even bigger numbers my 20-year-old year, and hopefully get a tryout somewhere, and if not, then I’ll try and go wherever I can and go as far as I can in hockey, even if it’s CIS (Canadian university).”
The Bruins finished third-last in the Dub last year, at 19-46-2-5. Habscheid takes over from Rick Hiller, who signed as head coach with Tri-City this week.
“It was up and down all year,” said Robinson, whose first cousin, Ryan Harrison, plays for Prince Albert. “We had a couple of nine-game losing streaks and it wasn’t pretty to say the least. We made some strides though. We had a lot of young guys that stepped up to their play and got used to the WHL style. It’s not easy losing two of your top three scorers but we persevered and in the end, we came up short of the playoffs but made some strides at the same time.”
Vernon’s Jeff Finley, an assistant coach with the Rockets, was impressed with Robinson’s style.
“He always competed hard against us,” said Finley, who signed a contract this week to be a western scout for the Detroit Red Wings. “That’s his strength, his grittiness, work ethic and determination. You can definitely see why they would make him captain.
“He gets in people’s faces and leads by example. He’s the kid you would want on your team.”
The likeable Robinson believes teams who go through tribulation can build character, and become stronger.
“You see lots of times in sports some of the top teams get knocked off because they haven’t faced adversity, and we definitely faced adversity this year. It was probably one of the toughest years of my life and I learned the downs of hockey this year.”
Robinson talked to Habscheid and was told the Bruins will hold high-tempo 45-minute practices this season, year three for the franchise. Robinson, who played alongside fellow call-ups Kellen and Connor Jones as the Vipers stunned the Penticton Vees in the playoffs three years ago, feels solid about joining the Bruins.
“I have had two fun years. The hockey hasn’t been as good as I wanted it to be. It would have been fun playing in Vernon at the same time, playing with two great players. I don’t regret my decision. Playing WHL is something else. You’re playing against guys who are in the NHL now.
“I had Oscar Moller on my team and he’s in the NHL right now. It’s pretty neat to practise with guys like that everyday, and play against guys like that. Like I’ve said 100 times before, it was the hardest decision of my life to leave here and go there. I was back and forth about it every day, but in the end, I’m happy with the decision I made.”
A Red Wings’ fan, Robinson can’t wait to face Dobrowolski eight times instead of just once this year.
“It’s going to be fun. We see each other eight hours a day right now so we’re going to get on each other’s back and kind of smile at each other and maybe get a couple of hacks on the back of the leg.”
Robinson, who played with Sweden’s Alexander Wicklund a lot, missed six games with a concussion after taking a forearm from Kelowna’s Tyler Myers as he tried to go wide on the monster Rocket d-man last February.
With Jadon Potter going down with a season-ending injury, the already struggling Bruins were left without a captain. They had earlier been basically pillaged when superstar Oscar Moeller made the L.A. Kings and sniper Evan Pighin bolted for the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies.
Enter Robinson, a work-till-ya-drop forward who had guided teams in Major Midget and Bantam. He took a turn as a rotating captain in Chilliwack.
“It was nice to be one of the leaders in only my second year and I got to wear the C for a little bit as an 18-year-old which was maybe a little surprising, but I’ve always been a leader on every team I’ve been on,” said Robinson, who compiled 11 goals and 17 points last season.
“It was a bit tougher leading a team that wasn’t getting in the win column every night, but I did my best to try and keep the young guys up and sort of show them even though you’re losing, you have to keep going. I had fun being a leader and having a letter on my jersey, I just felt guys looked up to me and it was nice.”
Robinson and good buddy James Dobrowolski (traded from Prince Albert to Prince George in the offseason) spent the summer laying irrigation pipe at Coldstream Ranch. They worked the early-morning shift and then hit the gym at noon.
The grandson of the late Vern Dye, who helped found the BCHL, the 5-foot-10 Robinson has added some muscle so is at the Bruins’ camp this weekend at 188 pounds, 10 more than he played at last year. He plans to be more of his old pest self all season.
“Hopefully, I have two good years here. We just hired an awesome coach in what I hear, in (Marc) Habscheid, and it’s looking good for us in Chilliwack. I hope to put up some big numbers this year and even bigger numbers my 20-year-old year, and hopefully get a tryout somewhere, and if not, then I’ll try and go wherever I can and go as far as I can in hockey, even if it’s CIS (Canadian university).”
The Bruins finished third-last in the Dub last year, at 19-46-2-5. Habscheid takes over from Rick Hiller, who signed as head coach with Tri-City this week.
“It was up and down all year,” said Robinson, whose first cousin, Ryan Harrison, plays for Prince Albert. “We had a couple of nine-game losing streaks and it wasn’t pretty to say the least. We made some strides though. We had a lot of young guys that stepped up to their play and got used to the WHL style. It’s not easy losing two of your top three scorers but we persevered and in the end, we came up short of the playoffs but made some strides at the same time.”
Vernon’s Jeff Finley, an assistant coach with the Rockets, was impressed with Robinson’s style.
“He always competed hard against us,” said Finley, who signed a contract this week to be a western scout for the Detroit Red Wings. “That’s his strength, his grittiness, work ethic and determination. You can definitely see why they would make him captain.
“He gets in people’s faces and leads by example. He’s the kid you would want on your team.”
The likeable Robinson believes teams who go through tribulation can build character, and become stronger.
“You see lots of times in sports some of the top teams get knocked off because they haven’t faced adversity, and we definitely faced adversity this year. It was probably one of the toughest years of my life and I learned the downs of hockey this year.”
Robinson talked to Habscheid and was told the Bruins will hold high-tempo 45-minute practices this season, year three for the franchise. Robinson, who played alongside fellow call-ups Kellen and Connor Jones as the Vipers stunned the Penticton Vees in the playoffs three years ago, feels solid about joining the Bruins.
“I have had two fun years. The hockey hasn’t been as good as I wanted it to be. It would have been fun playing in Vernon at the same time, playing with two great players. I don’t regret my decision. Playing WHL is something else. You’re playing against guys who are in the NHL now.
“I had Oscar Moller on my team and he’s in the NHL right now. It’s pretty neat to practise with guys like that everyday, and play against guys like that. Like I’ve said 100 times before, it was the hardest decision of my life to leave here and go there. I was back and forth about it every day, but in the end, I’m happy with the decision I made.”
A Red Wings’ fan, Robinson can’t wait to face Dobrowolski eight times instead of just once this year.
“It’s going to be fun. We see each other eight hours a day right now so we’re going to get on each other’s back and kind of smile at each other and maybe get a couple of hacks on the back of the leg.”
Robinson, who played with Sweden’s Alexander Wicklund a lot, missed six games with a concussion after taking a forearm from Kelowna’s Tyler Myers as he tried to go wide on the monster Rocket d-man last February.
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