Being a true leader just comes naturally for some people. This is certainly the case for Abbotsford Canucks rookie forward Chase Wouters, who has demonstrated strong leadership abilities since his days playing minor hockey.  These natural tendencies have helped propel Wouters during his first season playing professional hockey, and have helped his teammates as they seek a birth in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Wouters was born in North Baddleford, Saskatchewan, Canada but grew up in Lloydminster, Alberta, located on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan.  He began playing hockey at the age of four with several friends in the area who he would grow up playing with and against throughout minor hockey. “I was pretty fortunate growing up,” said Wouters.  “I was part of some pretty good teams throughout Peewee, Bantam, and Midget, and we would usually go pretty far in the playoffs each year, so there was plenty of competition growing up.”

Wouters was a part of a powerhouse Lloydminster Minor Hockey Association, serving as Captain for his Bantam AAA team, which included several players who would move on to play in the Western Hockey League the following season.  Wouters was selected in the first-round, 18^th overall, by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. Growing up on the Saskatchewan border and having plenty of family in Saskatoon, this was a very surreal moment for Wouters and his family. “It was awesome.  The Blades were a team I grew up watching. I remember watching the Memorial Cup when the team hosted it in 2012-13, and it’s crazy to think I was playing in that same rink for the Blades three years later.”

The leadership abilities Wouters honed in Bantam didn’t take long to transfer to his junior hockey career, as he was named Captain of the Blades after only his second season with the team.  “We went through a coaching change after my second season, and our new Head Coach, Mitch Love, came in one day before the start of the season and named me the team Captain. It wasn’t just me leading though, a lot of the older guys did a great job as well.  I know it’s pretty cliché to say there’s not just one leader in a hockey dressing room, but it’s true and everyone took part in helping push our team forward.”

Wouters describes his leadership style as ‘lead by example.’  Someone who might not say a whole lot, but gains the respect of his teammates with his passion and play on the ice. “A player I like to look up to and model my game and leadership ability around is Patrice Bergeron.  He’s obviously been a really good player for many years in the NHL, but the way he portrays himself on and off the ice is top notch and something that I look up to.”

Wouters would play five seasons with the Blades tallying 181 points in 280 career games, while becoming the first three-year captain in Blades franchise history. On April 28, 2021, Wouters played his final game with the Blades, scoring the game-winning goal in a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. This led to a special moment for Wouters and his family, as his #44 jersey was retired minutes after his final game with the Blades. 

“It happened so quickly.  We were in the bubble last year in Regina with only the Saskatchewan WHL team. After our last game I was doing an interview with CBC Saskatoon, when all of a sudden my GM, Colin Priestner, hopped on and broke the news. I had no clue it was happening, and it was the first I heard of it as we were on air, so that was pretty cool.  I was very excited and honoured.”

Following his final season with the Blades, Wouters faced some uncertainty about where he might play the following season.  He was now ‘aged out’ of junior hockey and had been undrafted by an NHL team.  Fortunately, the Abbotsford Canucks, the new American Hockey League affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks which had just relocated from Utica, New York, reached out and made him an offer.  He was Abbottsford’s first official free agent signing. “It was a dream come true to be able to sign with a Western Canadian team and stay close to my immediate family and be closer to some of my extended family out here in Vancouver, which has been really enjoyable.”

As a rookie playing in the Abbotsford Canucks’ inaugural season, Wouters has nothing but great things to say about his community and professional experience so far, including the adjustment of moving away from home. “The atmosphere is awesome in Abbotsford.  There is a lot of hype around town about the team, and the fans are great.  Being my first professional season, it’s been a different adjustment moving away and basically living on my own.  My roommate Alex Kannok-Leipert has been really great so far and we have shared a similar path to get to this point.”  Both played their 20-year-old season in the WHL and are now rookies in the AHL.  

Wouters acknowledges that several of the more experienced players on the Canucks have been very supportive and have helped him adjust to similar challenges that they went through in their rookie season, like moving away from home. “I’ve really looked up to guys like Noah Juulsen, John Stevens, and Ashton Sautner.  Those guys have really helped me out in my first-year pro.”

Wouters’ leadership has already begun to shine in only his first season at the professional level. He serves as the Abbotsford Canucks Player Representative for the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA), a role typically held by veteran players.  He was introduced to the idea by Nelson Nogier of the Manitoba Moose, who also sits on the PHPA Executive Committee and who trains with Wouters during the summer. “When our team was choosing a Player Rep at the beginning of the year, a couple of the older guys told me it might be good to get out there and build some relationships through the PHPA.  It’s been really good so far.”

The PHPA is the union that represents players throughout the AHL and ECHL.  “Some of the benefits that they provide through the CBA are a big part of being a professional hockey player. This is our job and it’s good to know that we have a union that protects us. I’m still learning a lot about the PHPA and the many programs and benefits they provide, especially in only my first year, but I know they are well respected and the players are very appreciative of everything they do.”

Wouters has set the bar high in terms of his personal goals for this season and beyond. “We’re here to win and I think we have a good team that can make the playoffs and get some wins. Then of course it’s everyone’s dream to get the call-up to the NHL and that’s my continued goal moving forward.”

A proven leader at all levels, his biggest piece of advice on being a young captain and team leader is to stay even keeled and trust the process. “Something I always took out is that during junior hockey there is lots of ups and downs, but I think if you show up to the rink with the right mindset every day and you’re there enjoying it, pushing yourself, and pushing your teammates to get better, you’ll get better as a team.  I learned that firsthand throughout my years of being a captain in junior hockey.”

Wouters continues to lead by example which not only bodes well for the Abbotsford Canucks and their playoff aspirations, but for his personal dream of advancing to the next level of the sport, and perhaps one day being named Captain of an NHL team.