Byron Fancy has been essentially unbeatable in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League this season.

One of the Red Deer Rebels top prospects has posted a minuscule 1.34 save percentage and 0.935 save percentage in six starts. He’s allowed just eight goals in 359 minutes of play with the Lethbridge Midget AAA Hurricanes.

At 16, Fancy has positioned himself to be the future in net for Red Deer and even though his numbers may be helped by a defensively sound team in Lethbridge, Rebels assistant GM/ director of player personnel Shaun Sutter said the netminder is ready to burst onto the WHL scene.

“We really think Byron, even though he’s 16 is capable of playing at our level. We wanted to put him in midget so he could continue playing and get that development,” Sutter said about the Claresholm native.

“When you look at goalies, you look at save percentage and wins. He’s certainly doing that and he’s also playing against better teams.”

Fancy is part of a plethora of talented 16-year-old’s that the Rebels have waiting in the wings, including Arshdeep Bains who leads the BC Major Midget Hockey League in points with 36 in 15 games. Sutter noted that part of the individual success for the Surrey, B.C., product has been in part due to his team’s 12-2-1 start to the year.

Forward River Fahey from Campbell River, B.C., was one of the last cuts in training camp for Red Deer and plays in the same league as Bains. He’s having a productive season so far, producing almost a point-a-game pace with the North Island Silvertips.

“Basically the last cut from our team. He plays on a weaker team but is playing a real physical, hard-nosed game. In terms of scoring goals, he’s up there in his league,” Sutter said.

Helping out Fancy in Lethbridge is Rebels’ defender Nic Draffin, who point-wise hasn’t exactly stood out this season but is playing heavy minutes on a top team in his second season of Midget AAA.

“He had a slow start to the season but since then has really picked up. Has played very well,” Sutter said.

“He’s paired with Ronan Seeley, a Red Deer local. They form a good pairing, probably one of the better pairings in the league. (Draffin) plays a shut down role. He’s playing really good defensively.”

Zak Smith, Justin Svenson and Ryan Gottfried are three other 16-year-old players that Sutter pointed to as having strong starts in their respective seasons.

The next wave of talent for Red Deer could be just as gifted, with players like Kyler Kovich and Ethan Rowland already playing big roles as first-year midget players.

Rowland, the Rebels first round selection in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft was injured in camp and didn’t get to show off his full ability, but Sutter has all the praise in the world for the 15-year-old.

The teen from Calgary might not have the point totals, with only a goal and two assists through eight games, but his Calgary Northstars team is 9-1-3 on the season. Sutter said after watching Rowland on the weekend, the excitement level about his ability continues to grow.

“He was the type of guy, in the last minute of the game he was taking a faceoff with his team up one and scoring an empty net goal,” Sutter said.

“He’s the type of kid that the coaches love and he makes other people better. He’s that guy you always notice because he’s playing all out with all that energy and emotion. I’m sure he’ll be a fan favourite one day.”

Kovich, 15, from Coquitlam, B.C., after a remarkable year with the Burnaby Winter Club where he had 139 points in 67 games, is off to a hot start in the BCMML with 15 points in 15 games. He was picked in the fourth round of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft.

“He’s having an exceptional season. Looking like he’ll be ready to step in next year in our league,” Sutter added.

“He’s kind of a throwback player, one that’s running people through the boards and scoring goals. Plays a mean, man among boys type game.”