NEW GLASGOW – The Weeks Crushers roster is officially finalized.
After Thursday's exhibition game against Truro, head coach Jason Malone told the players trying out for the team who had and who hadn't made the team.
Malone says he wanted to make the cuts before today's exhibition game against Truro so that the remaining players could fine-tune everything and get their systems in place.
While the assistant captain positions are still up for grabs, Malone announced that Ryan Fortune will wear the "C" this season for the Crushers.
A left wing from Halifax, Fortune has been with the Crushers since the 2008/09 season. Last year he was an assistant captain for the team.
"Me and Ryan have been working on a number of things," Malone said. "I think me and him have a good relationship. I know that he's going to be an exceptional leader."
Fortune has poise on the ice and presence in the dressing room, Malone said.
"I think he'll lead by example," he said. "I think a lot of the guys look up to him."
Weeks Hockey Organization president Wade Taylor said it was a great choice.
"Ryan's a tremendous kid," Taylor said. "He just always conducts himself the right way on and off the ice."
Fortune said he was excited about the opportunity to captain the team. He said he has a good working relationship with Malone.
"We're both going the same direction," he says. "I think it will work out very good."
Truro's Jesse Cox, who graduated from the Weeks Major Midget program last year was chosen to be the no. 2 goalie over Andrew Sidey.
"That was a tough decision," Malone said. "We just felt that Jesse had a little bit more upside to him."
Taylor said it is good to have a goalie locals are familiar with and one who will push Justin Collier.
He's not the only former Weeks Midget player to make the team. New Glasgow's Garrett Holmes and Cory Bennett both made the cut as did their teammate from Five Islands, Robert Davis.
The team also added Mitchell Taylor to the blue line. He'll fill the hole that would have been Mitchell Fraser's. Fraser joined the Crushers late last season from the Q, but decided to pursue his education this year.
Up front the Crushers have added former QMJHL player Marc Bourgeois, Brandon Boutilier, Mitchell Deruelle, Ben Crowell, Kevin Cormier and Justin Chaisson.
Boutilier played for the Halifax Titans in the Major Midget League last season and was drafted by the Crushers in the first round and having just turned 17 in July, is expected to make a strong impact on the team.
Overall, the staff said they are pleased with how things are looking for the season.
Taylor likes the energy Malone has brought in his position as the new head coach, he said.
"He's extremely dedicated," Taylor says. "He's demonstrated a great respect for the organization and brought a sense of excitement to the dressing room and breathed some accountability back into our players."
Goalies
Justin Collier
Jesse Cox
Defence
Mathieu Boudreau
Robert Davis
Adam Slaunwhite
Trent MacDonald
Scott McDonald
Mitchell Taylor
Forwards
Marc Bourgeois
Corey Bennett
Brandon Boutilier
Mitchell Deruelle
Ryan Fortune
Mike Hynes
Sean Hoyt
Garrett Holmes
Ben Crowell
Kevin Cormier
Ben Cameron
Justin Chaisson
