Fix-Wolansky tearing up the Western Hockey League

It's hard not to be impressed by the stats Trey Fix-Wolansky has put up this year.
The standout for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL has 33 goals and 63 assists for 96 points in 60 games this season for a playoff-bound squad.
But what might be even more impressive doesn't show up on the stat sheet for Fix-Wolansky.

Blue Jackets development coach Chris Clark says Fix-Wolansky's true impact comes from how he gets his teammates involved despite his lofty personal totals that place him third in the WHL in scoring.
"One of the greatest things about him is he's always using his teammates," Clark said. "Which is great because he makes everybody on his line better. There's a lot of players who are really good who don't make the guys around him better, but he's the type of player who does. That's how he's going to succeed at the next level."
Fix-Wolansky will need every advantage he has given his lack of size. The standout scorer is listed at just 5-foot-7, assuredly why he dropped all the way to being a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in last year's NHL draft despite the fact he had 89 points a year ago with the Oil Kings.
But proving people wrong has been one of Fix-Wolansky's strong points throughout his hockey career. He wasn't taken in the WHL draft, nor was he taken in his first year of NHL draft eligibility. This autumn, he seemed at least to be a lock to go to camp for the World Junior Championships with Team Canada, but instead the 19-year-old didn't even get an invite.
"Ever since I was young, I was not a huge kid growing up, so my dad always told me, you're going to be a small kid so you have to work extra hard," Fix-Wolansky said. "I've always kept that in the back of my mind, and that's definitely pushed me to where I am today is trying to prove people wrong, that size doesn't matter and you can play the game no matter what height you are if you know how to play."
Clark sees a player who can overcome his height limitations when he gets to the professional level. First of all, Fix-Wolansky doesn't back down despite going up against some big boys in the WHL, and he also has the skill set to mitigate his lack of size.
"One of the biggest things you need when you're a smaller-sized guy to make it to the NHL or even the American Hockey League, you need that ability to get away from guys," Clark said. "He's got that shiftiness, he has that puck possession, he's working on his speed. That's not going to hold him back."
Of course, Fix-Wolansky has someone he can watch in the Blue Jackets organization who has lived a similar path. A dominant scorer in both prep-school hockey and college hockey, Cam Atkinson was just a sixth-round pick of the CBJ because of questions about whether his game would translate to the pro level as he's listed at just 5-foot-8.
Blue Jackets fans know that story by now, as Atkinson has played in more than 500 NHL games and is second in Blue Jackets history in scoring amid a career-best 36-goal season. Fix-Wolansky says he watches Atkinson as well as other similar players as Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary and Viktor Arvidsson in Nashville.
There's also the draw of having a front-row seat to watch Connor McDavid in Rogers Place, the home of the Oilers in which Fix-Wolansky scored the first competitive goal a season ago while playing for the Oil Kings.
"Especially being here in Edmonton, watching McDavid every time they're at home and on the road, you can pick up a lot of things from him," Fix-Wolansky said. "Just being a smaller guy, I've looked up to Cam Atkinson - he's having a great year this year - and Viktor Arvidsson in Nashville. He's a pretty skilled player, can score, but also likes to play a little bit of a dirty game."
It's no surprise Fix-Wolansky looks up to him, then, considering he's not afraid to get to the front of the net, play in the corners, and be a pest. He's even dropped the gloves a handful of times in the WHL.
"I'm a little bit of an undersized guy but I don't shy away from the corners and don't shy away from getting dirty in front of the net," he said. "I'll even fight here and there. At the same time, I play with a lot of skill. My hockey sense is one of my better things, just being able to make plays at a high speed. Personality wise, just being a humble guy around the rink and a humble guy outside of the rink."
Fix-Wolansky continues to grow in all facets of his game. This year, he's served as captain of the Oil Kings, and he's been in contact with Blue Jackets coaches throughout the season to see how he can continue to develop his game.
But so far, Fix-Wolansky has accepted and met each challenge in front of him. From being undrafted in his junior league to someone who has excelled at Columbus' summer development camps and Traverse City tournament, the talented winger isn't afraid to aim high and see what happens.
"When I set goals for myself, I try to aim high," he said. "If you're always chasing a goal, there's no way to fail."