Cody Hough, a defenseman from Maple Ridge, has committed to playing next season with the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL.
Hough, 5’10” and 168 pounds, spent the past two seasons with the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget league, the latter as an assistant captain. He had 31 points, including nine goals, in 37 regular season games in 2018-19, and 32 points in 40 games the previous year.
Hough spent the three seasons before that with the Yale and Delta high school hockey academies, compiling 27 points, after moving on from the Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association.
He also played six junior A games the past two seasons in the BCHL as an affiliate with the Coquitlam Express and Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Chiefs coach Greg Harding said on Twitter that Hough was “a rock” on the major midget team’s backend the past two seasons.
“Such a huge part of our team. Excited to watch him at the next level.”
Defenceman Cody Hough has committed to the Surrey Eagles for the upcoming 2019-20 BCHL season.
DETAILS âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/IsIcVBzXOr pic.twitter.com/F8DtGLpIky
— Surrey Eagles (@SurreyEagles) May 23, 2019
Eagles head coach and assistant general manager Cam Keith scouted Hough and last year tried to sign him while then with Chilliwack. But Hough told him no, opting to return to major midget for another season.
“Clearly, this is a kid with a plan in mind,” Keith said, adding that Hough’s decision speaks to maturity.
Having an extra year to get stronger and grow his game should help make the transition to junior A easier for him. Keith said the players in the BCHL will be faster and stronger than what Hough is used to and he’ll have to adjust, relying less on physical abilities and more on understanding the game at that level.
“He’ll figure it out quicker than most,” Keith said.
That said, Hough is a strong skating, offensive defenseman who makes not only a good first pass, but can find second and third options quickly.
Hough, who will attend graduation ceremonies for Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary in Maple Ridge this weekend, is excited to be joining the Eagles. He thinks the BCHL is one of the top junior A leagues in Canada and hopes to gain an education from playing hockey, preferably at the NCAA Division 1 level.
“My main goal is to get an education out of hockey,” said Hough, 17.
Hough said he wanted to wait to join a BCHL team until he felt he could make an immediate and positive impact and help a team win. He feels he is more ready now and will spend the summer training on and off the ice with Impact Hockey in Langley to further improve his skating and skills and add strength in time for the Eagles’ training camp in August.
Hough said on the team’s website that he immediately accepted the Eagles’ offer.
“Cam Keith showed a lot of interest in me. He told me about the direction that he wants to take this program, and it was really interesting to me. It’s close to home, so it’s definitely the right fit for me.”
The Eagles plan to be young, skilled and fast next season, so Hough should fit in well.
“Having a young team is great because that allows a lot of room for opportunity,” Hough told the team. “Anything can happen when there’s room for young guys like me to move up in the roster. I think that I can fit right in because I’m a smart, puck-moving defenceman with some offensive ability. I have good vision and speed to help make quick plays.”
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