The Canmore Eagles Junior A hockey club are proud to announce that defenceman John Stevens has committed to SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) for the 2014-2015 season.
Stevens, a four-year veteran of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, played 190 regular season games in an Eagle uniform scoring 10 goals, registering 25 assists and accumulating 353 penalty minutes.
Prior to joining the Eagles as a player, Johnny spent several seasons with the Eagle’s organization volunteering as the team’s stick boy, while his family routinely billeted several Eagle players.
The 6-foot, 170 lb defenceman, who served as an assistant captain last season, was known throughout the AJHL for his rugged and dependable style of play.
“I couldn't be more proud and happy for Johnny and his family,” said Eagle’s Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “He has been such a heart and soul guy for this organization for years and it's great to see him moving forward to continue his hockey and pursue his education. This opportunity is well deserved and the organization wishes Johnny all the best in his future hockey and studies”.
For Stevens, the opportunity to gain an education and continue his hockey career is a double bonus.
“I look forward to joining the Trojans as they have one of the best college hockey programs in the country,” said Stevens, who has enrolled in the two-year Geomatics Engineering Technology program. “I can’t think of a better scenario – playing very competitive hockey and getting a good education at the same time. I’m really looking forward to the next few years.”
Asked about his four years as a member of the Canmore Eagles, Stevens only had praise for his former Junior A hockey club.
“I’ve lived in Canmore all my life, so it was a dream of mine as a youngster to play for the Eagles and I feel very fortunate that I got the opportunity to do just that,” said Stevens. “I developed not only as a hockey player, but also learned a lot about being a good person and giving back to the community. I can’t thank Andrew Milne, and Jeremy Reich, enough for believing in me and helping me get to this point in my life. We had a few tough years at the start, but we persevered and got better every year. It was a lot of fun to be a part of it. I think the club is ready for a great season next year and I’ll be cheering them on.”