Unpacking The Suitcase

Growing up in Owen Sound, I was like most kids who laced up the skates. You know,  the kid dreaming of playing in the show, scoring the big-time goal.

 

  I started playing AAA with the Grey Bruce Highlanders in the SCTA in major bantam.  My minor midget year I started to take hockey more seriously and work harder. Despite putting up 30 goals, I never was drafted by an OHL team.  I wasn't to worried about it  honestly, I mean I was a little rattled at first, but you get over it. Back then the O was just filled with big guys and I wasn't a big guy then at all, I was a rat maybe pushing 125lbs or 130lbs. It’s a bigger deal now it seems when kids don't get drafted into the O, but everyone has a different path.

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  Going into my major midget year I had a solid year and attracted some attention from some tier 2 teams in "Junior A" and some of the QMJHL teams.
 

   I was never a big school guy and figured I'd give "Junior A" a whirl. The biggest adjustment I found was guys in Junior are just way bigger and stronger coming from midget.  I started off playing on the fourth line my rookie season and realized I had to mix it up a little bit to move up in the lineup. I got beat up pretty good at the start, but after that, you put your big boy pants on and you're good to go. 
 

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 I never really thought too much about where hockey would lead after junior in all seriousness, just figured I’d play a couple games in the O and finish off my career in junior. It all changed when I ended up putting up a decent year in Orangeville where I got some offers from division 1 schools. I ended up deciding to go to Fredonia State, which is a division 3 school in New York. Getting to play NCAA hockey was fun for when I was there and they love throwing the body around, in the first game I realized it was like football on ice but it got the crowd fired up.
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 Coming to Laurentian has been a blast and being able to do it with my brother Jayme has been unreal, I even live with him. It’s cool to say we played together for a year in junior and able to continue it at the university level. We're one of three sets of brothers on Laurentian this year, that must be some sort of league record.

 

  Jayme is an absolute stud for us, and he’s for sure a better hockey player than I am.  Getting to watch him run our power-play definitely makes me feel like a proud older brother. It’s my last year at Laurentian so I’m just soaking it all in with him and enjoying the ride.
 

 

 

 

 

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Where do I want to go after Laurentian?

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"That I haven’t figured out yet, but I want to remain in hockey in some capacity, if that means an offer from Europe to go play or to coach a kid’s team. If I end it here, that’s alright with me as long as the team has a good year."
 
   For all you spaddies  and professors reading this, keep on being beauties I'll miss you.
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