Ryan Gagnon is pretty modest about his achievements, but there is no doubt 2011 was a great year for the 15-year-old hockey player.
After capping off a 50 goal and 58 assist season with the Quesnel Thunder tier-three bantam team, Gagnon was selected to the B.C. U16 hockey team and 2011 ended with his selection to the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League all-star game and what happened in between was pretty good as well.
Gagnon’s selection to the U16 Team BC squad was the culmination of several months of tryout camps, including the U16 provincial camp in July.
At each step numbers were whittled down and in the end Gagnon was one of only 20 players selected to the U16 Team BC squad.
Brad Crossan, coach of the U16 team was impressed with Gagnon’s skill set.
“He’s a good skater and he has a good shot,” Crossan said.
He also pointed to the intangibles in Gagnon’s game, especially his hockey instincts.
“It’s the way he thinks the game, he’s got a good mind for the game,” Crossan said.
“He makes the right choices.”
Another 2011 highlight for Gagnon was being drafted 56th overall in the bantam draft by the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League.
Gagnon, who is six foot and 175 pounds, said being drafted by the Royals was a big step.
A big step indeed as Gagnon competed against players up to five years older than he was and with the physical maturity acquired in those five years.
In addition to the size of the players, Gagnon also noted the speed of the WHL game was quicker than what he is accustomed to and the players are smarter with the puck, making fewer mistakes.
Nonetheless, Gagnon was undaunted by it all and took the challenge in stride, obviously impressing the coaching staff as he made it through the entire camp before being cut from the roster.
“He had a really good camp,” Crossan, who is also a scout for the Royals, said.
“Again, it comes down to his hockey instincts.”
Although he didn’t make the team, Gagnon said he returned with the determination to be the best player he can be and was happy with the experience.
Besides providing a potentially big stepping stone into professional hockey, Gagnon explained playing in the WHL offered several other advantages, especially with regards to education.
“Even if I don’t get drafted into the National Hockey League I still get my schooling paid for,” he said referring to the WHL’s academic scholarships that cover a year’s worth of tuition for every year played.
Following the Royals training camp, Gagnon travelled to Moose Jaw with the U16 Team BC to take part in the 2011 Western Canadian U16 Challenge Cup, where he faced elite players representing Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Tournaments like the Western Canadian U16 Challenge present different challenges for the players, particularly communication and coordination between the players on the ice.
But Gagnon said being familiar with several players, as teammates or opponents, made the communication and bonding as a team easier.
On the ice, Gagnon said, the key was to talk as much as possible to ensure everyone knew their responsibilities.
In addition to his selection to the BC U16 team and the invitation to the Royals training camp, Gagnon earned a spot on the roster of the Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.
After 22 games into his rookie season, Gagnon has one goal and 12 assists.
For Andy Beesley, manager of the Cariboo Cougars, Gagnon’s selection to Team BC, or his extended stay at the Victoria Royals training camp, is no surprise.
“He’s a great kid with skills,” Beesley said.
In addition to his skills, Beesley also pointed to Gagnon’s personality as an important element in his selection to Team BC.
“He’s a team guy, he fits in nicely,” Beesley began.
“He has the right personality to bond quickly with teammates.
“He’s figured out the importance of that.”
Gagnon and the Cougars capped off the 2011 hockey season by attending the Mac’s Midget AAA World Invitational Tournament in Calgary, Dec. 26 – Jan. 1.
The Cougars played four games and Gagnon finished the tournament with two goals and three assists against some top-notch teams from across Canada and Russia.
“His coach [Trevor Sprague] said he played very well,” Crossan said.
“He really matured as a player,” Beesley added.
Gagnon’s hockey career takes another step forward in 2012 as a member of the white team at the BCMMHL all-star game in Coquitlam, B.C., Jan. 13.
As his hockey career moves forward, Gagnon said he will keep in mind what he says is the best piece of advice a coach gave him.
“Work hard,” Gagnon said of the advice his father gave him.
For Crossan, there is no doubt the work ethic is there and he sees only a bright future for Gagnon.
“He’s a kid that listens and learns,” Crossan said.
“I have no doubt he’s going to have a great career in the WHL.”
