Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – To find a comparable to what Kadyn Chabot's doing, one only has to look at his linemate Ethan Strang.
Strang was a revelation as a rookie for the Griffins last season, hitting his stride mid-season and never looking back as he put up nine goals and 15 points in 24 games.
Chabot is the new freshman forward flashing big talent as, thanks to a four-point weekend at Trinity Western, he's currently leading MacEwan in scoring with 10 points in 12 games.
To further compare their journeys, both were point-a-game forwards in their final season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Strang put up 58 points in 55 points with the Grande Prairie Storm in 2021-22 prior to coming to MacEwan.
And Chabot recorded 63 points in 59 games last season split between the Drayton Valley Thunder – where he was team captain – and the Spruce Grove Saints, the team he was traded to in November 2022. He added eight points in 15 playoff games as he helped the Saints make the AJHL final.
"It's great to see," said Griffins head coach Zack Dailey of both Chabot and Strang thriving after their final AJHL seasons. "It shows we're on the right track with recruiting.
"We're getting the right people in who are not only good players, but they work hard, and they care about getting better."
The Griffins (4-7-1) head into a weekend home-and-home series against Mount Royal University (8-4-0) with Friday's game at home (7 p.m., Downtown Community Arena) and Saturday's in Calgary (6 p.m., both Canada West TV).
Chabot, who tied the program record for most points by a rookie in a Canada West game when he had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win over Trinity Western last Saturday, is aiming to keep things rolling.
"I think I'm just getting more comfortable," he said. "Our coach Zack Dailey has given me more of a chance out there, so it helps with that. My linemates are good, too, so I think it's mainly just getting more comfortable and figuring out the league."
Playing with Strang and Brendan Boyle, Chabot has relied on a high hockey IQ and lethal shot to score five times already this season.
"It takes some time for first-year athletes to find their footing," said Dailey. "The league is a little bit bigger, stronger, faster than what they're used to, but one of his strengths is his smarts and his whereabouts on the ice.
"I thought it would be a little bit longer period for him to adjust, but he's adjusted quite quickly," he added. "We're seeing stuff that he did in junior. The film that we watched, he was offensively gifted, he made really good play and had a good shot. Those are the same things we're seeing here.
"I really like his work ethic and defensive play. I think he's been good defensively. I know they said he worked on that in Spruce Grove. He's been all-around good for us."
Chabot has always been a scorer at every level he's been at. Hailing from Cranbrook, B.C., he moved away from home when he was in Grade 8 to play AAA hockey in Lethbridge and live with a friend's family.
"My first big year was my second year of bantam," he said of a U15AAA year with the Lethbridge Golden Hawks when he produced 36 goals and 74 points in 36 games. "I had a lot of goals, and it just came naturally to me. I kept on working up and then I guess it's still working now."
When he was with the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18AAA team in 2017-18, he led them to a third-place finish at the Telus Cup with two goals in the bronze-medal game.
Kadyn Chabot moved away from his Cranbrook, B.C. home to play AAA hockey in Lethbridge when he was in Grade 8 (Derek Harback photo).
He ended up getting a cup of coffee at the WHL level with the Vancouver Giants (23 games), playing for his former Lethbridge coach Michael Dyck, but ultimately settled in at the AJHL level with the Thunder, where he spent parts of five seasons, including one playing with older brother Korbyn Chabot.
Nothing compared to last season, though, when he helped the Saints make the AJHL championship series. They lost to Brooks in five games, but Chabot made an impact, registering two assists in Game 5's 3-2 overtime loss.
"It was crazy," he said. "It was unlike anything else I've ever played in. The fans were just so loud, and it was so busy. The stakes were so high. It was really fun. It's too bad we didn't get the job done, but it was still a good experience."
Then-Saints head coach Bram Stephen, who was the Griffins' bench boss from 2012-17, gave Chabot a glowing review of MacEwan and Dailey couldn't be happier he chose to come here.
"Obviously, looking at his Elite Prospects page, he's scored at every level he's been at," said Dailey. "Talking with his coaches, his character was great. He was a captain in Drayton Valley. So, the leadership was there, the work ethic was there and then watching video, the skill was there.
"For us, it was a no-brainer as someone we really wanted in our program. And we're very happy we have him."
