CHL

Emerson Etem.

BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca

It didn't take long for Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat's successor to Tyler Ennis, to pick up where he left off with the Tigers.

The first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres left some big shoes to fill after graduating from the Western Hockey League last summer. Ennis scored 115 goals throughout his four-year career in the Gas City, which presented the coaching staff with the challenge of replacing offence that Ennis took to the pro game.

"I think any time you lose a player of that calibre you wonder where you're going to replace the scoring," Tigers associate coach Shaun Clouston admitted. "There were definitely some thoughts, maybe a little bit of concern. We knew that some players would have to fill that void and guys really, really stepped up."

One of those players assuming the scoring load is 17-year-old rookie Etem. Medicine Hat took a flyer on the product of Long Beach, Calif., hoping he would one day join the Tigers after selecting him in the sixth round of the 2007 WHL bantam draft.

The team knew Etem had the potential to terrorize WHL goaltenders, but even Clouston was taken back by the rapid transition from the team's newest sniper.

"I don't think anybody expected him to put up the numbers that he has so far this season," Clouston said. "That was a surprise. A real pleasant surprise."

Etem leads the Tigers in goals with 32, which is only 11 shy of the personal best set by his predecessor. Beating Ennis' mark would hold a special place for Etem. After all, it was Ennis who showed him the WHL ropes two seasons ago.

Etem spent nearly a week with the Tigers that spring while on holidays from his school at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota. He billeted with Ennis and joined the team on a road trip, taking in the life of a WHL player.

"I knew right then and there that I wanted to play there," he said.

Etem, however, opted not to join the Tigers last season in his first season of junior eligibility. He then moved even further from home, relocating to Ann Arbor, Mich. to join the United States National Team Development Program's Under-17 team.

While many of his former teammates now comprise the USNTDP's Under-18 squad and possess college ambitions, Medicine Hat never strayed far from his heart. Etem took advantage of the program's weekend-heavy schedule by bulking up for the WHL's rigors and fast, physical play.

"I was able to work out almost every day so I definitely put on some pounds that I needed to play in this league," he said. "I just wanted to take some time to get physically more mature and mentally tougher."

It was hard to miss Etem once he arrived in Medicine Hat. The offensive dynamo shone quickly and exhibited his quick bursts of speed. Etem's speed is already NHL calibre, Clouston said, and was very deceiving upon his arrival.

The biggest adjustment was the physicality of the league, Etem noted, but it wasn't his only adjustment. While his goal-to-assist ratio would indicate a shoot-first mentality, it was a work in progress.

"I think when he first got here he viewed himself maybe a little bit more as a playmaker and we've really encouraged him to get lots of pucks on net and shoot the puck as hard as he can whenever he gets the chance and that's paid off," Clouston said.

It didn't take long for Etem to immerse himself in the locker room, either.

"He's one of those guys that just sits in with anybody," said Linden Vey, the Tigers' scoring-leader. "I think sometimes when guys come into the Western league for the first year they have a tough go, but as soon as he came here he adapted well and he's had a great year."

While he's not the first and certainly won't be the last Californian to hone his craft in the WHL, Etem likes to view himself as an ambassador for players emerging from the previously non-traditional hockey market.

"That's one of my goals - to set examples for young hockey players out in California," Etem said. "I never really forget where I come from. I always keep that in my mind and I'm just happy I came from there and (am) doing well."

Although he never suited up alongside Ennis in Medicine Hat, Etem learned what it took to be a Western Hockey League player from one of its finest.

"(Ennis is) one of the best performers I've seen as far as individual skill and speed," Etem acknowledged. "Obviously, you can learn a lot from him."

It's safe to say Etem was taking notes.