Canmore’s Luke Philp had no lack of motivation for the 2014/2015 WHL season.
Passed over in the NHL draft despite a respectable ranking, Philp later received an invitation to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ rookie camp, where he got a first-hand look at the talent needed to crack the team. But he didn’t get an offer from the club.
Instead of moping, he hit the ice this season bent on improving, and is eligible again to enter the NHL draft.
“I was really disappointed last year. I expected to get drafted and I used that as motivation to try to go harder,” Philp said.
He responded with an even stronger season, where he was named the Kootenay Ice team MVP, scoring 30 goals with 52 assists in 71 games along the way. In the playoffs, he scored two overtime goals for the Ice against the Calgary Hitmen in a hard fought seven-game series. The Ice lost, but after a week, Philp said in retrospect he was happy with his season.
“I thought I had a good season. My play reflected how the team was playing. We had a tough start, but after (Buffalo Sabres prospect) Sam Reinhart and (Montreal Canadiens prospect) Tim Bozon came back, it made things easier for us. We turned things around after the first 16 games,” Philp said.
The Ice didn’t get a lot of respect heading into the year, but Philp was a key player in the playoff push.
“Teams thought we weren’t going to make the playoffs, and we ended up turning things around. We had a good, tough series with Calgary,” Philp said.
While he did set personal statistic goals, he’s more proud of how the team was able to rally and earn a playoff spot. Through it all, he improved his 5-on-5 play, which showed in an improved plus/minus line.
The team MVP award was never on his radar, but an honour for a team with so many high-calibre players.
“It’s a huge honour for me. There are a lot of good players on the team and I have to give them credit. I don’t think this was ever on my radar,” Philp said. “I set personal goals for points, but I just wanted to improve my overall play. Numbers are numbers. I wanted to be more of an impact player five on five.”
This summer, he plans to work, spend time with his family and girlfriend in Canmore and hit the gym again. Even if he is drafted (Philp is currently ranked 172nd by central scouting), he’s expected to return to Kootenay for another year. He invited his teammates to Canmore for an end of season bash, took them out on the town in Banff and had a great time in his home town. But after a week or two of relaxation, it’s back to business.
“We’ll see how the draft goes. I expect one more year of junior hockey and will head back to Cranbrook. For now, I’ll take some time off the ice and get a summer job,” Philp said.
He credits his coaches for helping him develop as a player and, while the organization was shocked he wasn’t selected last year, Philp said he did everything he could this season to impress the top scouts.
“I hope I did enough.”
