Silvertips’ rookie Centazzo settling in, producing points

Published 7:30 pm Tuesday, November 29, 2016

EVERETT — Orrin Centazzo got a bit of a late start to his rookie WHL season.

The 16-year-old forward from Alberta was waylaid by visa issues and didn’t make his debut until Oct. 11 during Everett’s trip to Prince George.

Then an upper body injury that kept him off the ice for two weeks. But Centazzo has now appeared in 14 of Everett’s 25 games, including the last nine.

“It’s a lot more comfortable and I’m more confident now since I’ve got those first games out of the way,” he said.

Skating primarily on the fourth line with fellow rookies Bryce Kindopp and Bradly Goethals, Centazzo has seen his point production increase. He was held without a point in his first nine games, but has scored three goals and tallied an assist in his last five contests.

“I’m a lot more confident with the puck,” said Centazzo, whose Silvertips play host to the Kootenay Ice at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Xfinity Arena. “I know my limits and I try and push that each game.”

He scored a very impressive goal in Everett’s 3-0 win over Seattle on the night before Thanksgiving. Centazzo out-raced a Thunderbirds defenseman to the puck and beat Seattle goalie Matt Berlin between the legs for the Tips’ third and final goal of the game.

“With tough angle shots it’s tough to go up high,” he said. “I was just trying to stay on ice and get it past the goalie’s feet.”

Goethals has a goal and an assist in three games since joining the team and the Centazzo-Goethals-Kindopp line combined for a goal and two assists in Everett’s 3-0 win over Prince George on Saturday — a win that propelled Everett (18-3-4-0, 40 points) ahead of the Cougars for the top spot in the Western Conference.

One reason for Everett’s strong start to the season?

“We came (together) so fast as a family,” Centazzo said.

The Tips also have a pretty good goaltender in Carter Hart. The fellow Albertan earned his second consecutive WHL Goaltender of the Week award on Monday and was named the CHL Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday. Hart had a pair of 3-0 shutouts last week and leads the WHL in shutouts, save percentage and goals-against average.

“I feel the same as I have all year,” Hart said. “I treat everything the same in practice and in games, and really the work is done in practice so that the games can become easier. Right now I feel good. My body feels good, I feel like I’m in good shape and right now I feel fresh.”

Hart is likely a front-runner for the CHL Goaltender of the Month after also winning the award in November last year. He’s been exceptionally locked in this month with a 5-1-2 record, a 1.25 GAA and a .955 save percentage.

“Obviously there are days where things aren’t going to go your way and there are some nights where you’re not tracking the puck as well,” Hart said. “You just have to make up for it in different aspects of your game. Sometimes you just gotta make up with hard work or battling for sight of the puck or something like that. Just trying to find some other area so you can make up for another area that you’re struggling with that night.”

Also Tuesday Hockey Canada formally announced that Hart and Tips defenseman Noah Juulsen are among the 32 invitees to training camp for Canada’s team at the World Junior Championship that begins Dec. 26.

While that is certainly a boon for both Hart and Juulsen the Tips could be without their services for up to 10-games. Juulsen was Team Canada’s final cut from last year’s tournament in Finland.

This year’s event is co-hosted by Montreal and Toronto.

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