Dealt by Silvertips, pair have become key pieces for Blazers

Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 10, 2019

EVERETT — When the Silvertips struck a deal with Kamloops two years ago and acquired Garrett Pilon and Ondrej Vala near the WHL trade deadline, it was a trade that helped elevate Everett in its run to the Western Hockey League finals.

But the Silvertips also paid a significant price. And that price will be on display Friday at Angel of the Winds Arena.

The two cornerstone pieces in the trade — 2000-born forward Orrin Centazzo and 2000-born defenseman Montana Onyebuchi — and the Blazers take on the Silvertips in the two team’s second matchup of the season; Everett toppled Kamloops, 3-2, this past Saturday at the Sandman Centre.

“I’m extremely excited,” said Centazzo in advance of the pair’s third meeting against their former team since being traded. “The fans are always good here and I love playing against them now, obviously.”

Onyebuchi has been a steady presence on Kamloops’ blueline, but Centazzo, a fifth-round pick by Everett in the 2015 bantam draft, has been a huge breakout player for the Blazers this year, leading the team with four goals and 10 points. His 10 points are tied with six other skaters for fourth in the WHL.

“I really like Orrin, I like him as a player and a person,” Kamloops general manager Matt Bardsley said. “He has a good demeanor, he comes to the rink pretty even-keeled and cuts out the highs and the lows. He kind of seems to stay in the moment. And as a player, I really like him. He’s got good speed, he’s got really good skill and really good sense for the game. He has the ability to make plays and he’s shown the abilities to finish.”

Bardsley wasn’t Kamloops’ general manager at the time the Blazers acquired Centazzo and Onyebuchi, but knew he was handed some nice pieces to build around. After all, he saw the two plenty when he was Portland’s assistant general manager, a position he held from 2013-2018.

In 81 games for Everett in one-and-a-half seasons, Centazzo registered 20 points in 81 games. He finished the 2017-2018 season with 15 points in 32 games and built on that momentum for a 51-point season in 2018-2019.

In Centazzo’s second full season in Kamloops, the buzz is as palpable as ever.

The Blazers were still rebuilding in 2018-2019, but upended archrival Kelowna, 5-1, in a play-in game for the final playoff spot. Centazzo and Kamloops gave Victoria a fight in a first-round series, but the Blazers fell in six games, with Centazzo chipping in six points (one goal, three assists).

Many around the league expect Kamloops to be one of the main contenders in the B.C. Division this season, along with Vancouver, the reigning Western Conference champions, and Kelowna, the 2019 Memorial Cup host.

The Blazers’ top line is a big reason why. Centazzo, overage forward Zane Franklin and 2001-born forward Connor Zary, considered a top prospect in the 2020 NHL draft, have formed a formidable scoring trio. Zary has matched Centazzo’s 10 points and Franklin has added nine. It doesn’t hurt that Franklin and Centazzo played on the same line last season, they’re both from the same town (Marwayne, Alberta) and they’re also second cousins.

“We’ve been clicking a lot lately,” Centazzo said. “We find each other on the ice and it’s good for us. Obviously, Zane and I kind of have that family chemistry, but Zary is great with us. There’s nothing lacking between any of our line. We’re playing well together and playing fast.”

As for Centazzo’s future? He hasn’t popped up on the professional radar yet, but he’s on the right track. Not just because of the prolific numbers he’s put up this year, but because of the added strength he’s added to his game.

“I think this year we’ve seen him show a little bit of a physical element, too,” Bardsley said. “He’s certainly not a physical player, but he’s winning battles for pucks, he’s hard on pucks, he’s doing a lot of the little things that are enabling him to get into scoring positions and he’s certainly being rewarded for it early in the year right now.”

Centazzo is playing with the most confidence he’s ever played with in his WHL career, he said.

“I have maybe more of a role as an offensive player and as a leader on the team,” Centazzo said. “Obviously my linemates help. I can’t do it without my teammates, but confidence with the puck has really helped.”