Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 86

PROFILE
JOSH
KAGAN
Coming Home to
a Re-Emergence
B Y S C O T T TAY L O R
Photos by Bruce Fedyck
8 6 | G AME ON | R EGU L A R SEASON ED ITION 2018
RHA Nationals Midget Prep
coach Rob Smith is proud of all
his players. He’s a coach, after
all, and guiding young men who
are excited about getting better
and expanding their horizons
is the most important part of
the job. Like all good coaches,
he gets attached to the kids
who come to practice every
day and work their butts off.
Sometimes, however, a
coach like Smith will run
into a kid who gets it. Maybe
after getting released, or just
having a negative experience
in another program, Smith
will see a young man who is
prepared to buy in completely
in order to realize his dreams.
Josh Kagan is one of those
players. After a tough season
with the Omaha Triple A
Lancers U-16 team in 2016-
17, Kagan decided to return
to Winnipeg and enroll at The
Rink Hockey Academy. It’s
been a tremendous experience.
In 23 games, he has eight goals
and 24 points on a Canadian
Sport Schools Hockey League
team that is 17-5-2 and among
the Top 6 teams in the league
heading into playoff season.
For Smith, it’s been
fun watching Kagan
improve dramatically in
his 17-year-old season.
“I don’t know the story
about Omaha, I just know
I got a call and it seemed
things weren’t going well for
him in Omaha,” Smith said.
“There were some expectations
there that weren’t met so he
decided to look at RHA as a
serious option. It’s worked
out well for us. We’re real
happy with him and in the
direction he’s going. I believe
in him. I believe he can play
at the Jr. A level and be a
contributor there. He’s buying