A familiar face for Bonnyville hockey fans has joined the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) team in Cold Lake.
Anson Smith, 17, has committed to play for the Cold Lake Wings for their upcoming season.
After hearing from head coach and general manager Johnathon Aitken, Smith was a little unsure of joining the team in their first year.
“At first, I’d heard a little bit about the team and I wasn’t really familiar with the league itself or what the team was all about,” Smith said. “After he explained it all to me, I got pretty excited. My parents agreed with me, they thought it was a great idea... I called (Aitken) back, and told him I was coming.”
Now, the prospect of being among the players who make the Wings’ first roster has Smith excited for puck drop.
“Being able to be the first people to start out in this new league, to get to pave the way for kids that are coming up, and maybe want to take a different approach to their hockey career, I’m excited for the group of guys, and I hope we can win.”
Signing a local player was important for Aitken. He feels it shows the area how local talent fairs on a competitive level.
“Being in the Lakeland region, if you can bring in a player that wants to be at a certain level, I think that’s good for the community... It’s something that communities can be proud of, and they can see how he plays,” he expressed.
A former Lakeland Panther, Smith was pleased to move to ice closer to home for the upcoming season.
“It’s great. I get to stay home, and closer to my friends. I developed a strong church family in Bonnyville, and I get to stay close to them. I’m excited about that. I get to attend Bible study, and stay close to all of my friend,” he explained.
During his time as a Panther, Smith led the team in scoring with 26 points and 20 assists.
He’s been hitting the ice with his new teammates over the past couple of weeks, and is looking forward to competing alongside them.
“I think we have a great group of guys. We’ve got guys that are coming from everywhere, everybody’s just kind of coming together as one. It’s not in separate groups, everyone’s friends with everyone, and it’s really nice,” Smith noted.
Playing hockey has been a lifelong dream for Smith, and each decision he’s made about teams he’s played for has kept that dream alive.
“Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream for me to play hockey at the highest level you can. This was a good opportunity for me, and I think every kid’s dream of playing hockey at a level as high as possible,” expressed Smith, adding the most important thing for him is to play the game he loves, while being a role model for the community.
