Saturday, Jul. 11, 2009

Sonne is coming off big season

Young center piled up 100 points while playing in WHL

ST. LOUIS -- A 100-point season can do a lot to change opinions, even though the St. Louis Blues have always been high on 2007 third-round draft pick Brett Sonne.

Sonne definitely climbed a few spots on the organizational depth chart last season, exploding for 48 goals and 100 points in 62 games with the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen.

"I didn't score too many highlight-reel goals," said Sonne, a 20-year-old center from British Columbia who also had seven goals and 16 points in 14 playoff games. "They were mostly around the net on tips and finding ways in the quiet areas. If I keep that up at the next level, I'll be fine."

Sonne not only won league MVP honors, he also helped Canada win its fifth straight gold medal at the World Junior Championships and signed a pro contract with the Blues in March.

Sonne and the rest of the Blues prospects will compete in the 11 a.m. Blue-Gold scrimmage today at St. Louis Mills. Seating is limited, and the doors open at 9 a.m. Fans also can watch the event through live streaming on the team's Web site, www.stlouisblues.com.

Sonne will be back for NHL training camp in September, hoping to earn a job with the Blues. If that doesn't happen, his likely destination would be the AHL's Peoria Rivermen.

"I don't know if it really changed anything," said Jarmo Kekalainen, the Blues' vice president and director of scouting. "We were positively surprised he could get that many points. But we always liked him a lot and felt he was one of those guys who could bring a lot of character into our lineup someday."

Sonne had more goals and points than any player in the organization last season.

"We knew his work ethic, we knew his hockey sense and we knew his grit and how hard he's worked at it," Kekalainen said. "We certainly didn't know he was capable of getting 100 points."

Neither did Sonne, although he did have 21 goals two years ago with Calgary. In 2007-08, a broken ankle limited him to eight goals and 20 points in 29 games.

It also gave him plenty of time to prepare for what proved to be a breakout season in 2008-09.

"That was a mental and physical setback," he said. "Obviously short-term, it doesn't feel good, but in the long run you become mentally stronger. I feel that pushed me harder in every game and to not take shifts off."

Don't expect that to happen. Sonne seems as grounded as the giant cedar trees that populate his native province of British Columbia.

"Confidence is a crazy thing in sports," he said. "When you don't have it you're feeling pretty down on yourself and when you do, you feel great and everything's clicking.

"All the great athletes are able to control that and don't get too high or low. I've just got to stay level-headed."

Kekalainen called Sonne a "character player," which typically describes a high-energy, high-output guy with leadership and intelligence qualities.

"He's got a lot of ingredients," Kekalainen said. "He just matured; he's got more responsibility and responded well. He got better, stronger, quicker ... all the things you expect from a player that age."

Sonne was one of several prospects who spent much of the summer training in St. Louis, including Alex Pietrangelo, Aaron Palushaj, Philip McRae and former No. 1 overall pick Erik Johnson.

The players work closely with strength and conditioning coach Nelson Ayotte, but also were training alongside current Blues players.

"The training (Ayotte) does is unbelievable and it's going to take anybody who's committed to the next level," Sonne said.

While he was a front-line scorer with the Hitmen, Sonne played more of a defensive forward role for Canada at the World Juniors.

"Hockey's all about adapting," said Sonne, who knows the Blues have plenty of young forwards like himself pushing for jobs.

He also knows how closely the Blues' coaching staff and front office are watching this week's camp and scrimmage.

"When I was younger it was a little nerve-racking," Sonne said. "This year I'm trying to focus on what I can do and not worry about who's watching and who I'm competing against. I'm just trying to worry about myself."