They continue to bring in new additions, each hoping to be the piece of the puzzle they’re looking for. Most recently Matt Cox was welcomed to Pictou County after Josh Renaud and Gabriel Levesque were added to the mix.
Cox, 18, made his debut in a Crushers jersey on Saturday night in Truro, a 10-4 loss to the Bearcats. He said it was exciting to start his season here, but the result was far from positive.
“It felt good to finally get out on the ice with the boys, but obviously the result wasn’t the greatest,” he said. “In saying that you just need to have a short memory and put it behind you. I’m kind of looking forward to tomorrow instead of looking back at the effort we had last Saturday.”
Tonight he’ll play his first home game for Pictou County. The Crushers host the Yarmouth Mariners 7 p.m. at the Wellness Centre.
The Surrey, B.C., native comes to Pictou County after spending last season with the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The Terriers were the eventual RBC Cup champions last season.
This year Cox didn’t like the playing situation in Yorkton, so he approached his coach about being able to look for opportunities elsewhere.
“I was fortunate enough for him to let me do that and Pictou came knocking,” he said. “I was impressed with their program and everything they had to offer, so it was a pretty easy decision after that.”
As far as knowing what the MHL and East Coast had to offer him he didn’t have too much knowledge. Cox had a few friends who had played in the MHL, but beyond that he didn’t quite understand what his experience would be like.
“It’s more what I’m used to than the Prairies because I’m originally from British Columbia, more of a coast guy,” he said. “The climate and everything else is more what I’m used to, so I’m happy to be here.”
The 5’10 forward describes himself as a smaller player with a fast and gritty style of play. He feels he’ll be able to chip in offensively, but wants to be a two-way forward.
“Last year with Yorkton we won the RBC Cup, so I have a national championship under my belt, which was a pretty cool experience,” he said. “With Pictou here I’m hoping to have a little bit of a run with them. I know Jay has said that he’s got a good group here that he thinks can make a run for it. Hopefully I can chip in and be a part of that too.”
Notes:
Justin Ritcey will start Thursday night against Yarmouth, his first regular season start for the Weeks Crushers.
Forward Quinn Marshall was released by Pictou County this week.
On Twitter: @NGNewsChris
