Stouffville well represented on Spirit
by Daryl Macklem
Stouffville has long been a factory when it comes to producing hockey talent, with the cream rising to the top this year as no less than six home grown players are included on the roster of the Stouffville Spirit Junior A Hockey Club.
Myles Gomes, Brandon Walker, Patrick McEachen, Craig McDowell, Evan Bruno and Justin Hulshof are all sporting the Spirit red and black. Gomes decided to return to the Spirit this year after a season in the QMJHL, where he played on three different teams, and was rewarded by being named Spirit team captain. In his first stint with the Stouffville club, he was on the 2005-06 team that captured the North Division and Northwest Conference Championships.
Walker is also returning for his second stint with the Spirit. He played here in his rookie season before moving on to the Aurora Tigers, where Mark Joslin was an assistant coach. Walker started this season with the Ryerson University hockey team, but decided to return to the Spirit, where Joslin had been installed as coach. “Mark played a very significant part in my decision to come back to Stouffville. He’s a great guy and an amazing coach,” said Walker.
McEachen, in his second year with the Spirit, is a smooth, offensive-minded defenceman. He is on the list for the upcoming NHL entry draft, and will get the chance to showcase his skills later this month in the CJHL top prospects’ game in Summerside, PEI. Craig McDowell, who is also in his sophomore season with the Spirit, attends York University and is striving to get a Canadian scholarship. A big, strong, physical winger, he is at his best when he plays with an edge to his game.
Bruno is a first year forward who honed his skills playing minor hockey in the Toronto Red Wings organization. He was picked in the 11th round of the 2008 OHL draft by the Oshawa Generals. Like Bruno, Hulshof is in the midst of his rookie campaign with the Spirit. The forward spent last year with the Uxbridge Bruins of the Central Ontario Junior C League, and comes to the Spirit with a winning track record, having won two OMHA Championships in his minor hockey career.
While it’s important for Junior A teams to recruit well in order to be competitive year after year, that process can be made easier when the local minor hockey organization is developing quality talent. It would appear that the Stouffville association is doing its part.
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