Badgers add recruits
It’s not exactly business as usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Brock Badgers men’s hockey coach Marty Williamson is managing to get some work done.
Williamson has been hard at work recruiting and already has a handful of players locked up for next season.
“We have commitments from new players,” Williamson said. “We have three or four guys committed. We’re just waiting on the paperwork to go through.”
University policy prohibits their names being released until they are officially enrolled, but Williamson indicated one is a top scorer from the British Columbia Junior Hockey League while another is a top defenceman from the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“We’ve added some quality guys who we think fit our program, character guys who fit our identity,” Williamson said. “We’ve filled the holes we needed to and we’re still talking to a couple of guys who have NHL options. They’re waiting to sign contracts and see if anything happens that way.
“We’re excited about the quality of the people that we’re talking to.”
The Badgers have the bulk of their roster eligible to return, although they did take a hit on the blueline losing Ethan Spaxman, Skylar Pacheco and Dexter Weber to graduation.
The Badgers will also be adding former Lake Superior State University centre Owen Guy, who skated with the team last season but was ineligible to play, as well as defenceman Connor Russell, a transfer from the University of Ottawa, who also sat out last season.
“We feel pretty comfortable we’re going to have a team that will have an opportunity again,” Williamson said.
Williamson said he has had to adjust the way he has recruited.
“I’ve been steady on my phone talking to different players. You’re not meeting them, they’re not coming into town, especially with the western boys. We had to fly a few in other years but this year they had to make gut calls,” he said. “The university has done a good job of putting together virtual tours so we can send that to them.”
Williamson has kept in touch with the current players via video conferencing.
“We had a conference call (last week) with 24 players. It was great to see their faces, just checking in on them and making sure everyone is safe,” he said. “It was great seeing everybody — the jokes, the banter, the fun they had — and also making sure school-wise everything is OK for them. We’ve got spring and summer classes going and we’ve got a couple of our guys taking classes so we’re just making sure they are eligible to play next year.”
As well, Williamson indicated several options are being discussed as far as this fall’s schedule.
“We’ve had a couple of U Sport meetings and I know they have a Plan A B and C, (based on) if the season starts on time or November or January. They have different options and they’re putting different schedules together,” he said.
“It’s sit and wait time. Nobody has a crystal ball. I don’t think anybody has a grip on this to say what’s going to happen. I think we’re going to be a lot smarter at the end of May and decisions will be made then, and if not, then it will be at the end of June.”
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