Golden Bears off-season update; joining the professional ranks

The Golden Bears season ended with a loss to St. Francis Xavier in the University Cup. For many players it was their last game donning the green and gold as their five year CIS window was up. So it has already come to pass that there has been numerous player updates since the end of the season.

In April, six Golden Bear players signed professional contracts. These were all amateur try-out contracts to finish the 2015-16 season. Here are some quick updates:

• Jordan Hickmott signed with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He even managed to get into three games with the Marlies and registered 1 goal and 1 assist.
• Levko Koper signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and played 5 games to finish the season where managed 3 assists. Koper registered 2 assists in 4 playoff games for the Cyclones.
• Kruise Reddick was added to the roster of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads where he scored 2 goals and added an assist in 7 late season games. Reddick put up the identical totals in 7 games for the Steelheads in the ECHL playoffs.
• Thomas Carr joined the blue-line of the Allen Americans of the ECHL. He played 5 games to finish the season (1 goal, 3 assists) and then registered 3 assists in 23 playoff games to help the Americans capture the Kelly Cup Championship.
• Jordan Rowley, who was the Bears leader from the back-end, signed a contract with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. After three games and no points to finish the season with the Solar Bears he was moved to the Allen Americans to join former Bears teammate Thomas Carr for their run to the Kelly Cup Championship. In 24 playoff games, Rowley notched 2 assists.
• Brett Ferguson joined Levko Koper in Cincinnati. He had no points in 3 regular season games and no points in the Cyclones 3 playoff appearances.

Also in April, head coach Serge Lajoie was named to the coaching staff of the of Canada’s U18 team for the 2016 IIHF Championship in North Dakota. The Canadians fell 10-3 to the USA in the bronze medal game.

In late June three former of the former Bears, who finished the season on amateur tryout deals in the ECHL, signed contracts for the 2016-17 season in Europe. Kruise Reddick and Jordan Rowley have signed with HC Vita Hasten of Sweden’s second division Allsvenkan. Brett Ferguson is moving to France to join Gap of the Magnus League, which is the top league in that country.

With the loss of great veterans like the guys mentioned above it will likely be a transitional year for the Golden Bears next season. Obviously new players will need to emerge but that never seems to be a problem for the team playing out of the Clare Drake Arena.