The Campbell River Storm are boosting their blue line presence with a young defenceman.
Benjamin Northcott will be joining the team for the upcoming Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) season, Head Coach and General Manager Lee Stone announced Sunday evening.
Stone said the program is lucky Northcott chose to join.
“The best part about his game is that he takes pride in his own end defensively first and foremost,” he said. “You just don’t see that with defencemen nowadays – kids that can move the puck as effectively as North can while still taking the defensive side of the game seriously.”
Northcott, 17, played last season with the Pacific Coast U18 Sea Devils in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). In 36 Midget Prep U18 games, he led his team in assists with 21. He also scored one goal.
The five-foot-11, 198-lb defenceman said he was looking for somewhere to play that wasn’t academy hockey and had heard positive things about the Junior B program in Campbell River.
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#FutureWatch in 2020, Benjamin Northcott pic.twitter.com/zBcyfkmC5F
— Campbell River Storm (@CR_STORM) July 20, 2020
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Storm program with their development and overall culture as a team. It is one of the best Junior B programs around led by an amazing coach, Lee Stone,” said Northcott. “I also love the Campbell River area so once I was offered a spot, I could not refuse this opportunity.”
Originally from Prince Rupert, Northcott said that as a big defenceman, he likes to use his body to get between a player on the opposite team and the puck.
“I lock down the front of the net and move the puck up ice fast,” he said. “I have a hard point shot that I get to the net to create second chances for forwards.”
According to the Storm, Northcott is expected to be at the Storm’s main camp in August, but is also planning to attend the Cowichan Capitals’ (Junior A) main camp.
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