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The 2025 NHL Draft might be more than a year away, but a skater from Macklin, Sask. could be one of the top prospects when that day arrives.
Cole Reschny has been sensational in his rookie WHL campaign with the Victoria Royals.
Reschny is a point-per-game player currently tied for the team’s lead in goals with 16, alongside 20 assists at the halfway mark of the season. The 16 year old is sitting fourth on his team in points and is one of the biggest reasons why the Royals have a 23-14-3-3 record and are fighting for one of the top seeds in the west.
While he spent time playing minor hockey in Macklin, Reschny has been on the move for the last several years. During the 2021-22 season he played in Edmonton with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U15 prep team, where he scored 92 points in just 25 games.
His road to the WHL then took him to Saskatoon to play on the U18 AAA Blazers as a 15 year old. He registered 65 points in 34 games that year and led the team in scoring. His contributions helped bring the Blazers to their first provincial championship since 1992, along with a western Canadian championship and a third-place finish at the 2023 U18 national championship.
Saskatchewan’s Cole Reschny currently tied for the Victoria Royals’ lead in goals with 16, alongside 20 assists at the halfway mark of the season. (Jay Wallace/Submitted)
When asked why he’s been able to have so much success this year, Reschny said the four games he played in the WHL last year showed him how tough it would be and helped motivate him to work even harder.
“Obviously, it’s nice to have guys around me like my teammates to help me out with that,” Reschny said right before his Royals took on the Saskatoon Blades in his old stomping grounds at SaskTel Centre on Saturday night, “but I think just adjusting and doing all I can is what helped me.”
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Goal totals for Reschny will probably continue to go up as he figures out his shot and continues learning to play the WHL game.
He said the shot is something he’s taken a lot of pride in.
“I work on my shot a lot. You come in this league and the goalies are a lot better, so it’s one thing I worked on a lot this summer,” he said.
Reschny’s visit to Saskatoon came as the Royals were completing a Saskatchewan-and-Manitoba road trip which took them to Regina, Brandon, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert.
On the way to Regina, his team bus stopped in his hometown of Macklin where his parents invited the entire Royals team over for dinner. The club decided to extend their day and also get a practice in at the local rink, bringing a lot of excitement to the community of fewer than 1,500 people.
Today’s practice took place in Macklin, Saskatchewan – the hometown of Cole Reschny. A great practice day in the middle of our East Division road swing. pic.twitter.com/hBlFYGWgDc
— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) January 4, 2024
“It was nice to break up the road trip and get a practice there and eat a good home cooked meal for once. It was great to practice there and see the family,” he said.
“I’m very grateful to have parents that would do that.”
He said his parents cooked pork chops and hashed brown casserole for the team.
While practising in Macklin, Reschny gave a young fan one of his worn out hockey sticks as a souvenir.
Cole Reschny gave this fan his stick after practice in Macklin Saskatchewan, his hometown.
'He just gave it to me!' Beamed Jack.@victoriaroyals #ForTheKids pic.twitter.com/OiCa0BNXOB
— Marlon Martens (@MarlonMartens) January 4, 2024
But despite the home-cooked meals, the Royals didn’t have the greatest road trip, finishing 0-3-2. Reschny said he’s still excited for what his Royals can do in the back half of the year.
“Playoffs is our goal. The last few years have been tough, and I think we’ve had a good bounce-back season from last year,” he stated.
As for his goals for the remainder of the season, Reschny said he just wants to be himself.
“I think just keep playing my game,” he said. “Do as much as I can for the team and help them make the playoffs, and then do whatever I can to help them do well in the playoffs.”
The Royals’ road trip through Saskatchewan came as the tempratures dipped below -40 C.
While he was used to the weather in his home province, Reschny noted that some teammates weren’t exactly thrilled with the polar vortex.
“Some of the guys have been complaining a lot,” he joked. “For the most part though, everyone’s been fine with it.”
