Bigger, faster, stronger - the claim of seemingly every hockey player, every
athlete, ahead of a new season.

Nolan Foote isn't bluffing and can't wait to prove it, coming off his first
full summer of training since making the jump to major junior - before his 16th
 birthday in 2016 - and set to embark on his NHL draft year as a go-to guy for
the Kelowna Rockets in his third WHL season.(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Nolan Foote of the Kelowna Rockets will be looked to as a leader entering his
third WHL season and his NHL draft year.

"Ever since we got knocked out of playoffs (at the end of March), I started
training. It was basically my first summer without an injury, or going into the
 summer without an injury, so that was huge," said Foote, who split his
offseason time between Kelowna and his former home in Denver, working
extensively with the Rockets' skating coach Evan Marle and with Angelo Ricci, a
 skills coach for the Buffalo Sabres.

"I definitely feel better," continued Foote, who reported to training camp at
6-foot-3 and 188 pounds and showed well in the Rockets' fitness testing.
"Physically, I feel a lot stronger. I was on nutrition plans, so that helps,
and I did a ton of weight training, trying to get thicker and gain
weight."Keyword Being Faster

There was also an emphasis on skating and getting a half-step quicker, which is
 something the scouts will want to see from Foote this season.

The game is getting faster at every level and bigger-bodied forwards like Foote
 need to be able to play at that pace.

"I worked with (Marble) a bunch, just 1-on-1, and I think it helped a ton. It
was huge for me," said Foote.

The early results are evident, according to Rockets head coach Jason Smith.

"His strength and his quickness off the start has definitely improved," Smith
said prior to watching Foote score in his preseason debut thanks to a burst of
speed that likely wouldn't have been there last season, as he won a race to a
loose puck in the offensive zone and deked around an over-aggressive goalie who
 got caught thinking he could beat Foote and then couldn't back off in
time.(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Leon Draisaitl took a while to hit his stride in the NHL, but he was dominant
during his brief time in Kelowna - powering the Rockets to a WHL championship
in 2015.

That newfound acceleration was certainly noticeable, but skating will continue
to be a work in progress for Foote. As it was for Leon Draisaitl in his
transition from junior to pro - which prompted a demotion to Kelowna, where he
led the Rockets to a WHL championship and the Memorial Cup final in 2015 -
before returning to the NHL and becoming a force for the Edmonton Oilers.

Skating has also been the knock on Foote's older brother, Cal, a defenceman who
 was drafted 14th overall in 2017 by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Cal is turning
pro this fall after captaining the Rockets and exploding offensively with 19
goals and 70 points in 60 games last season, while also helping Canada capture
gold at the World Juniors this past January.

"I think you could say that it's important for every young player out there
now, with the way the game has become such a speed game," Smith said of Nolan
Foote's focus on skating this summer.

"Skating is something, if you're not willing to work at, you're not going to be
 around long. Whether it's guys that have played in the National league for 10
years now or guys just trying to get into the league, they need to skate and be
 able to get up and down the rink in a hurry.

"That's a part of learning and developing and getting better. He's willing to
put the work in to do that, which from our standpoint here, he will succeed as
a skater."Elite Shot

If Foote's skating is a perceived weakness, his shooting ability is a
well-known strength. That is the skill, along with his size and bloodlines,
that got Nolan on the scouting radar for 2019.

"His shot is at an elite level. As a 16-year-old in this league, he could
really shoot the puck," said Smith. "Now he's getting stronger and you can see
that in his shot too. Now he can place it where he wants to shoot it. And being
 able to one-time it is a special skill and he's got that."

Indeed, Foote can tee it up like Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos on the power
play, which is an asset that Kelowna will look to maximize this season.Quicker
Release

There is no hesitation in his one-timer, but Foote struggled at times as a
sophomore in getting his shot off when attacking on the rush. That may be due
to overthinking or simply hanging onto the puck a bit too long as defenders
close in, taking away his time and space.

This season, Foote will be encouraged to be trigger-happy in all
situations.(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Nolan Foote fires a shot during warmups prior to a WHL game.

"He's working at becoming a quicker shooter," said Smith. "When you shoot the
puck as good as he does, whether it's a wrist shot or a snap shot or a slap
shot, if you can get it off and get it on net, it's going to create opportunity
 - whether it goes in the net because he shoots the puck so well, or there's a
good chance there's going to be a rebound and that can only benefit our team."

Told that's what scouts will be looking for, a quicker release in addition to
improved skating, Foote was well aware.

"I definitely know that I need to get it off quicker, so I'm going to try to do
 that," he said.Studying Scheifele

One scout, in particular, said if he were on Kelowna's coaching staff, he would
 have given Foote the summer assignment of studying video from all Mark
Scheifele's shifts during the Winnipeg Jets' playoff run to the Western
Conference final this spring.

"Do this, be that," was the message being conveyed since the
ΓÇÿwatch-and-learn' approach plays a significant role in development these days
 - both with teenagers and professionals.(Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
Nolan Foote is a student of the game and if he';s looking to pattern his
playing style after an NHL star, look no further than Mark Scheifele.

That scout was envisioning Foote as a centre in his draft year - that won't be
the case, at least not to start - but Foote is embracing a shoot-first
mentality regardless of the position he's playing.

"I watched a ton of Mark Scheifele goals this year and learning from him, he's
got a great release, and I'm just going to be looking for it," said Foote, who
scored 19 goals in 52 games as a rookie before dipping to 13 goals in 50 games
last season.

Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames could be another comparable for scouts
projecting Foote as a centre in the future. He acknowledged those two,
Scheifele and Monahan, but also had another name in mind.Idolizing Malkin

"(Evgeni) Malkin's been my favourite player ever since I was young," said
Foote, who turns 18 in November. "I was at a Pittsburgh game in Pittsburgh one
time and I just fell in love with how he played, with his size and how he uses
his strength and body, and how good his hands were and even his speed."(Charles
 LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins has long caught the eye of Nolan
Foote, among the many NHL players that he enjoys watching.

Malkin, of course, is another centre. When it comes to left-wingers - the
position that Foote has primarily played in junior - there is an obvious and
unavoidable comparison here in Kelowna.Benn Comparisons

That being Jamie Benn, the Dallas Stars' captain who led Kelowna to another WHL
 championship in 2009 as a power forward with similar strengths to Foote in
terms of their size and shooting ability.

"I get that a lot, he's obviously a really good player, and I just try to live
up to it," Foote said of Benn, who is immortalized among the Rockets'
wall-of-fame murals outside the dressing rooms at Prospera Place.

Benn was drafted out of the BCHL - a fifth-round pick that proved to be a steal
 - and came to the Rockets as an 18-year-old in the fall of 2007. He made an
immediate impact, scoring 33 goals in 51 games as a WHL rookie, then upped it
to 46 goals in 56 games with 82 points during that championship season.(Amy
Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Jamie Benn has developed into a tremendous leader for the Dallas Stars and his
exploits during the 2009 WHL playoffs are still fondly remembered here in
Kelowna - setting the Rockets'; franchise record for points in a postseason,
with 33, which still stands today.

Foote has another level or two in his game, but Benn was more imposing
physically. He was a big hitter and became a formidable fighter too. Foote
hasn't shown a mean streak like that, nor a nasty side like his dad Adam had
during his NHL playing career, but that could be coming this season.

"He's only going to get bigger. He's still a kid, but he really developed this
summer and started to become a man," said Smith.

That is something else the scouts would love to see - more aggression and
feistiness, which would also open up more ice for Foote to dominate the Dub.

Both with and without the puck, he should be capable of becoming more of a
physical presence - be it driving to the net around defenders, working the
cycle down low or providing screens in front. And if he buried his shoulder
into somebody from time to time, that wouldn't hurt his draft stock either.

Truth be told, some scouts don't see the Benn comparison and don't think it
would exist if Foote was playing anywhere but Kelowna. A couple of them have
thrown out the name Rick Nash, providing Foote keeps making strides in his
skating.

Figuring out exactly what type of player Foote is - as his own player - will be
 part of the challenge for the scouting community this season.Starting on Wing

That all starts with the positional debate. Big centres are a coveted
commodity, especially if they can skate, but Foote will be staying on the wing
to start his draft year.

In his first exhibition game, he was flanking Kyle Topping, the Rockets' top
returning scorer from last season with 65 points, so Kelowna may test the
chemistry of that pairing for now. Their right-winger on the top line could be
Leif Mattson, who had a team-high 25 goals among the returnees, or Liam
Kindree, a creative offensive catalyst who could bring more speed.

"He's going to play on the wing, we'll start him there," Smith said of Foote.
"As a young player, the more options you have in your game and if you can play
more positions and kind of be a multi-purpose guy, it's going to give you the
best opportunity to have success at the next level.

"It shows you have the hockey IQ to be able to adjust to a new position because
 it is different. Your positioning is different from the wing to playing
centre, and your role is different in the game. But he's a very smart player
and understands the game and knows what it's going to take to have
success."Moving to Middle

Foote made that adjustment, albeit briefly, last season while Dillon Dube was
away captaining Canada to gold at the World Juniors.

The scouts took notice and some have been clamouring - or at least hoping - for
 more of Foote at centre.(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Nolan Foote prepares to take a faceoff during WHL action last season.

The Rockets will ultimately do what's best for their team, but Kelowna's depth
down the middle is a talking point as the regular season approaches and Foote's
 name is coming up in those conversations.

"That's something you talk about daily . . . and that can change as you add
injuries or you have ups and downs in your season," Smith said when asked if
he's considered shifting Foote to a full-time centre. "That's something we look
 at and we know he's an adaptable guy that can do it. He has no problem doing
whatever is asked of him, and that's the true benefit of him being a good kid
and a player that wants to play at the highest level."

All things being equal, a centre will get drafted ahead of a winger. That
positional preference for NHL teams is the main reason why Jesperi Kotkaniemi
and Barrett Hayton were selected before Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina this
June.

Foote wants to go as high as possible - whether that's ahead of brother Cal at
14th, ahead of father Adam at 22nd, later in the first round or anywhere in the
 top 50 - but not at the expense of team success.

"I'm fine with playing both (positions)," Foote insisted. "I'm used to the
wing, but when Dube left for the World Juniors, I played centre. It took a few
games to get used to, just way more skating, but I enjoy playing centre as
well."Mighty Motivated

As the Rockets found out the hard way in this year's draft, team success does
translate to individual success. There is a direct, or indirect, correlation as
 evidenced by Topping, Mattson and Kindree being among the first-time eligibles
 who were passed over as Kelowna got blanked in 2018 after getting swept in the
 first round of the WHL playoffs by the Tri-City Americans.

In years past, when the Rockets have enjoyed deep playoff runs - which is more
often than not as perennial contenders - an opposite effect has occurred. Take
2016, for example, when Calvin Thurkauf and Braydyn Chizen were both drafted in
 the seventh and final round - presumably because the scouts had more viewing
opportunities and postseason performances were still fresh in their heads.

That early exit didn't sit well with Foote - "it was embarrassing," he said -
and he's been dropping in the draft rankings as a result of how last season
played out.

Not that Nolan was expected to carry the Rockets through the playoffs - that
responsibility fell on the shoulders of Cal, Dube and leading scorer Kole Lind
- but he only managed one goal and two points in those four playoff games and
didn't take a significant step in his development as anticipated.(Marissa
Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Nolan Foote of the Kelowna Rockets bounces the puck on his stick during warmups
 prior to a WHL game, but he won';t be playing around when the puck drops on
this season.

In his defence, Foote's development has been hampered by injuries and illness
that include a broken collarbone requiring surgery, a broken hand from blocking
 a shot and a bout of mononucleosis.

Those aren't excuses, they are realities, but now that he's fully healthy, this
 is going to be the biggest year of Foote's career - at least to date.

"It's going to be a great year, a challenging year for a young player who's
been developing and getting better," Smith said of Foote, who missed 22 games
as a 17-year-old but still finished with 40 points in 50 games, increasing that
 total from 35 points in his rookie campaign.

"He's very motivated. . . . When you're healthy and you can really push
yourself through the summer, you give yourself a chance to be ready for the
start of the season, and I know he's itching to go out and be a real big piece
of our team this year."Bounce-Back Year

Smith took the words right out of Foote's mouth.

"I'm itching to get out there," echoed Foote, who was looking forward to
testing himself in that preseason contest, which saw him have a hand in both of
 Kelowna's goals - scoring and assisting in a 4-2 home-ice loss to Prince
George on Sept. 1.

"I'm excited. It's been a hard summer of training for me, so I'm ready to have
it pay off."Nolan Foote

Foote didn't have a "bad" year last season, but it wasn't as good as he had
hoped. The scouts expected more of him too, since Foote had set the bar awfully
 high by netting 19 goals as a 16-year-old.

Everybody just assumed 30 would be next - not 13. But Foote has all the tools
to rebound and double his production, with 30 goals now a realistic target for
his draft year - even with the WHL shortening their season by four games, from
72 to 68.

"He's an elite talent who's got an opportunity to make an impression with a lot
 of teams this season," said Smith.

Trending Down?

At this time last year, Foote was widely considered a top-10 talent for 2019.

Again, he was coming off 19 goals as a 16-year-old - no small feat and he
accomplished it in just 52 games, which prorated to 26 goals over 72 games
- and he was also returning to Kelowna with a gold medal from the 2017 Ivan
Hlinka Memorial tournament as the lone underager on Canada's roster last
summer.

Nolan Foote is a stud who's two years away from the NHL Draft. Big strong
skater with great vision and perimeter play!

- Brayden Sullivan (@SullyDraftGeek) June 15, 2017

The hype was high, but this year Foote is returning under more scrutiny.

Suddenly, there are critics - labelling him a faller for 2019 and alluding to
Foote as an "older prospect" because of his late-2000 birthdate in a class of
2001-born players.

It's my third season following Nolan Foote. Always feeling uneasy. I can't see
more than a potential NHL grinder, if at all.

- Stock Guy ≡ƒ╖Γ¢╡≡ƒÜ╡≡ƒÅ╗ΓÇΓÖé∩╕Å (@stock_guy1) September 2, 2018

Now he's "on the bubble" for the first round - ranked closer to 30 than 10 on
most of the preseason lists.

"With the rankings, one thing Cal told me and Luke Schenn told me, is never
really pay attention to that stuff," said Foote, "just keep working on yourself
 and keep trying to get better, and things will pay off."

Foote also wasn't invited to this summer's World Junior Showcase in nearby
Kamloops, with Hockey Canada instead summoning fellow draft-eligible Raphaël
Lavoie from out east as an injury replacement for that exhibition tournament.

Lavoie, subsequently, is seen as a riser - pushing towards the top 10 and
surpassing Foote on Canada's depth chart. But that Summer Showcase snub should
only fuel Foote's fire for the season to come.

"There's projections and there's ratings and everything, but the bottom line is
 you have to go out and play the game," said Smith, who was also a first-round
pick, 18th overall by the New Jersey Devils back in 1992. He downplayed the
fact there was more buzz surrounding Foote a year ago than there is today.

"That is what it is, and it depends who you talk to, but it doesn't really
matter at this point. The season hasn't even started," said Smith.

Foote is a confident kid - a driven and determined young man - and if he's
playing with something of a chip on his shoulder, that will bode well for the
Rockets and not so well for their opponents.

"I do feel like I have a lot to prove and a lot to offer this season," said
Foote. "You want to go out there and play your hardest and take nothing lightly
 because every game is important and there's always someone watching."All Eyes
on Kelowna

The Rockets will be heavily scouted and under the spotlight this season, with
three prospects in the projected top 60 for 2019.

That includes sophomore defenceman Kaedan Korczak - Kelowna's rookie of the
year last season and a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at this
summer's inaugural Gretzky Hlinka Cup - and new Finnish import Lassi Thomson, a
 mobile blueliner who will likely work the power play alongside Korczak even
though they are both right-handed.

"It's great to have some teammates that are going to go through it. You can
rely on each other and pick each other up," Smith said of the draft-year
experience. "Throughout the season, you're not going to play perfect games or
great games every night, but if you can consistently go out and compete on a
nightly basis, that's what makes an impression.

"If they go out and compete and keep focused, they all have the skill level and
 the talent in their game to open eyes."(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
Kaedan Korczak is a two-way defender who can make an impact at both ends of the
 ice and his draft stock is on the rise coming out of last month';s Hlinka
Gretzky Cup under-18 tournament in Edmonton where he helped Canada defeat
Sweden in the final.

All three are candidates for the first round - for the top 31 - at next June's
draft in Vancouver.

"This new guy, Lassi, looks great. For all three of us, just keep playing our
game and learning and growing, and hopefully all goes well," said Foote.

Foote is still the frontrunner among that trio on most of those early lists,
but the defenders appear to be trending up. Thomson should get a boost by
coming to North America, especially since Kelowna has a reputation for
developing NHL defencemen.RELATED: Fisher's Top 124 Following Hlinka Gretzky
Cup

With those three in the fold, the rest of Kelowna's roster - which doesn't
feature a single player that is currently NHL property, drafted or signed
- will also reap the benefits of added attention.

"It's great for the Rockets and it's great as individual players to be on a
team where there's going to be other guys being watched," said Smith. "That
means there's going to be people here in the rink every night, which is going
to give you an opportunity to open eyes. If you do have a bad game, there's a
good chance there will be a whole bunch of guys watching the next game. . . .

"It's not about losing confidence and getting frustrated, it's about moving
forward and that's what the guys at the next level do best. When things don't
go their way one game, they bounce back and play better the next
game."Beneficial Bloodlines

The son of a longtime NHLer, those habits come naturally to Foote. It's all he
has known from his days in diapers when his dad was teammates with the likes of
 Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, Ray Bourque and Rob Blake, and Patrick Roy with
the Colorado Avalanche. They won the Stanley Cup for a second time in 2001
during the season Nolan was born.{svictoria - Flickr}
Adam Foote was a hard-nosed defenceman during his distinguished 20-year career
that ended with him captaining the Colorado Avalanche in 2010-11.

Spending some of his formative years around NHL rinks - Adam retired in 2011
when Nolan was 10, turning 11 - he gained an understanding and appreciation of
how hard the pros work at their craft, day in and day out.

Adam now lives in Kelowna - he and his wife, Jennifer, relocated here from
Denver to follow their boys' junior careers - and although he has taken a
hands-off approach, avoiding interviews and such as a means of letting his sons
 make their own name, he's an invaluable resource at home.

"My dad has given me a lot of advice and Cal is there for support," said Foote.
 "(Smith) and my dad are a huge help, and all the coaches are. I just need to
take everyone's advice and just keep going."

That insight, from Adam and Cal, has Nolan more prepared than most for what's
to come in his draft year. It's an advantage over the majority of prospects,
including his teammates Korczak and Thomson.

"I think so. I think I have a good idea, so I'm looking forward to it," said
Foote, who arrived in Kelowna at the same time as Smith - for Cal's draft year,
 the 2016-17 season.

"I think the experience of having a brother who's gone through it and having a
dad that's gone through it is second to none," said Smith. "The hands-on
knowledge in knowing what to expect will allow him to wheel through the tides."

Nolan was eased into Kelowna's lineup that fall, as a 15-year-old, but he took
it all in. He leaned on Cal, who was in his second season with the Rockets, and
 soaked up everything related to the draft process.

Nolan was a sponge around Cal, picking his brain about the CHL Top Prospects
Game and the draft combine, then joining the rest of family in attendance at
the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in Chicago. So, he's heard the name Foote called in
the first round once before and watched that walk to the stage in person.

A proud moment and one Nolan wants to replicate.

"I was very excited, just watching him grow and being able to play with him
here was just so fun and a good learning experience," said Nolan. "Being so
close to him and seeing him go through the draft experience was
awesome."Learning From Cal

Nolan has looked up to Cal every step of the way and Smith says the elder Foote
 brother is the perfect role model.(Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)