From battling on frigid Prairie rinks with his two brothers to competing at a national championship last spring to his first taste of international hockey a couple months ago, every experience in his young hockey life has pushed and shaped Victoria Royals rookie centre Cole Reschny.
And, of course, the challenges keep coming.
The Royals have been playing without their top centre for more than a month now because Robin Sapousek left to represent Czechia at the World Junior Championship in Sweden and sustained an injury at the tournament. That thrust the 16-year-old Reschny into a situation where he’s constantly facing other WHL teams’ top lines and defence pairs, comprised of players who often have three to four years and upwards of 20 pounds on him.
“He’s battled through,” says Royals coach James Patrick. “He’s very competitive, he gets very emotionally involved in games. Sometimes you want to protect a younger player [from those matchups], but I also believe it’s going to make him stronger in the long run.”
Now a highly regarded prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, Reschny initially left tiny Macklin, Sask., at 13 for a couple of prep school seasons at Edmonton-based Northern Alberta Xtreme Hockey. Last year, he shifted back to his home province to play U-18 AAA hockey with the Saskatoon Blazers. The Blazers had a magnificent year, advancing to the Telus Cup and winning bronze on the national stage in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
“Last year was a special year for me,” Reschny says. “The team we had, how close we were and then getting the chance to go [to nationals], that was huge for lots of us, especially me getting to play against the other best teams in Canada.”
Blazers coach Troy Walkington praises Reschny for the way he kept finding new gears as the stakes got higher, especially given the fact he was usually facing competition one to two years his senior.
“He elevated his game every step of the way,” Walkington says. “And that’s difficult to do. You’re still 15, you know? You’re not a veteran player.”
In the fall, Reschny had to prove himself all over again to a new coach. Patrick is in his first year with Victoria and he didn’t know a whole lot about the kid his club selected third-overall in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft.
“All I knew of him was he is a high draft pick,” Patrick says. “I watched him in training camp. I would say he looked good for a 16-year-old, but that doesn’t tell me much.”
It didn’t take long for Patrick to start learning what Reschny is all about. After recording just a single goal in his first five contests, the centre ripped off a 14-game point streak that saw him rack up six goals and 15 assists in that stretch. The run was interrupted in early November when Reschny competed at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Prince Edward Island. Though his Canada Red squad failed to medal, he still showed extremely well with three goals and eight points in seven games.
Reschny says it was tough leaving with a poor team result, but he definitely believes he benefited from his first foray into international hockey.
“I really took advantage of [soaking] everything in,” he says. “New coaches, playing with different players. It was nice.”
Returning to Victoria an even more confident player, Reschny has continued to produce to the tune of 37 points in 38 games.
“He makes plays, is No. 1,” Patrick says of Reschny, who’s formed a strong chemistry with right-winger Dawson Pasternak. “And that’s the biggest thing: Who can make plays, who’s a difference-maker as far as creating something out of whatever time and space you have? He does that very well. Every game he’s in on a number of scoring chances or he creates a number of scoring chances. [Reschny and Pasternak] are our go-to guys offensively, they’re the guys I start overtime with. And it’s a big assignment for a 16-year-old.”
The only 2007-born player with more points than Reschny in the WHL this season is Medicine Hat Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna. But as strong as his offensive game is — and it’s certainly his calling card — Reschny knows his way around the entire rink.
“I’m a 200-foot centreman,” he says. “I play well in both zones, I take pride in getting the puck out of the zone as much as I do. I love to shoot the puck, I also love to set my teammates up.”
According to Walkington, Reschny doesn’t just help those around him with pillowy passes. His work ethic and willingness to drive into tough parts of the ice raise the bar for everyone on his squad.
“When you are able to work with him on a day-by-day basis, his motor and the way he competes, that’s the part that jumps out,” Walkington says. “He sort of drags everybody along with him and he forces everybody to be better. And, for me, that’s a telltale for an elite player and certainly a leader.”
If there’s one thing Reschny would like the fans around him in Victoria to experience, it’s the thrill of a post-season surge. Due to a combination of the pandemic and subpar squads, Victoria hasn’t seen a Royals playoff game since the spring of 2019. With the club sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, there’s a strong chance that could change in a couple months.
“Obviously that’s the goal after the last couple years. Last year [when Victoria finished one spot out of the post-season] was especially tough, not being able to make the playoffs,” Reschny says. “I think this year has been a pretty good bounce-back so far, but we haven’t finished it yet. We’re working together to give the city a playoff experience for the first time in a while and then, hopefully, a run.”
Assuming the Royals get there, it will give Reschny yet another chance to shine on a big stage.