Heading into Tuesday night’s game in Medicine Hat, Williams had recorded six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 27 games. He’s had 54 shots on goal and a plus-12 rating.
Article content
In terms of hockey intelligence, Saskatoon Blades rookie Cooper Williams appears to have skipped a few grades.
Article content
Article content
He’s that smart.
“He’s unbelievable,” Blades forward Tyler Parr says of Williams, who is among the top rookies in the Western Hockey League.
“I’ve played with a lot of great players in this league growing up and he’s easily one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with. He sees things that are pretty impressive for a 16-year-old. I just can’t wait and see how he grows.”
Advertisement 2
Article content
Heading into Tuesday night’s game in Medicine Hat, Williams had recorded six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 27 games. He’s had 54 shots on goal and a plus-12 rating.
His ability to adapt to major junior hockey at age 16 doesn’t come as a big surprise.
“The biggest thing for him is he’s very, very smart,” says Blades head coach Dan DaSilva. “He has a high hockey IQ. He’s in the right position. He knows where to go on the ice, both offensively and defensively, so that’s his biggest asset, I think — his ability to think and read plays. Then he’s not afraid. He goes out and plays the same way every single night. He’s going to have a bright future ahead.”
Williams was selected in the second round, 41st overall, in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
The 6-foot, 150-pound forward played his minor hockey in Calgary. He had 29 goals and 22 assists for 51 points in 30 games with the Calgary AAA under-18 Buffaloes last season.
While producing now at the major junior level, Williams says he’s surprised but not surprised, pinching himself at times and yet confident that he could do so.
“Kind of, but kind of not,” he says with a shrug. “It’s just knowing that I could do it.”
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Everybody has been supportive, which helps along the journey.
“Just all the boys supporting me, no matter what — even if I’m not doing good in one game, they’re still picking me up on the bench,” adds Williams. “It’s just awesome having everyone around.”
His goal is “just kind of keeping up the points pace but also the defensive pace, keeping that plus-minus up always helps. And trying to do anything to help the team win, like block shots.”
Williams says the coaching staff tells him to be a little more patient, offensively.
“Kind of just in the offensive zone, holding onto the puck a little more and be more poised with the puck instead of trying to make the right play at different plays. Get into the corner and working and then make the play.”
Meantime, he will continue to work on his defensive side.
“Last year I wasn’t very good at it and I knew that, so I came into this year trying to get better at it and develop during the summer about it. So I came in thinking that was going to help my game a lot and it has so far, which is good,” he says. “I’m just trying to keep that up.”
He looks to teammate Rowan Calvert as a mentor, defensively.
Advertisement 4
Article content
“I look up to him. He plays a lot of PK (penalty-kill) and defensive shifts. He’s really good at it.”
While overage Blades forward Brandon Lisowsky recently reached a career milestone with 250 points, Williams says that provides the motivation to “get there myself — it’s just awesome to see that for him.”
The feeling is mutual. Lisowsky thinks it’s awesome to see Williams blossom so early in his WHL career.
“He’s a great player,” says Lisowsky. “He came in and he had opportunity and he took it. I think he’s going to be an awesome player in this league. You can already tell. He can make plays. He’s got a good stick. He can skate well. He’s a big body at 16. So he’s going to be a player for the Blades in the future.”
Recommended from Editorial
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content
