Submitted photo
Corner Brook’s Jordan King shown in action with the Amherst Ramblers from last season. King is beaming with confidence after being chosen one of 13 forwards for Maritime Hockey League South’s entry in the 2016 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, held last week in Cornwall, Ont.
King, the leading scorer for the Amherst Ramblers, just wrapped up a great learning experience as he was one of 13 forwards named to the Maritime Hockey League’s South Division entry into the 2016 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Cornwall, Ont.
MHL South, with a 2-2 round-robin record, bowed out of medal contention in a 3-2 loss to a Central Canada Hockey League squad in a quarter-final matchup.
“It was an honour to be picked to play in this tournament,” King said Tuesday afternoon from Amherst. “Playing against other great players from eastern Canada really opens your eyes and you realize how good players are around Canada.”
The exposure that comes with playing in a showcase event is invaluable to players with a vision for playing at a higher level. University hockey is something King figures he will want to pursue down the road so playing against really good players with some of them bigger and older than he is is what he needs to help in his development.
He has been able to fill the net for the Ramblers, but everybody knows that coaches expect players to be solid without the puck, too. He doesn’t think he puts too much emphasis on the offensive side of the puck despite leading his team in scoring since the season opener.
He’s only focused on one goal at this point in his career as he takes it one game at a time.
“Just take care of the defensive zone first. That’s what we’re taught and then offence will come,” he said.
He goes to the rink every day prepared to compete. He no longer feels like a kid thrown into the fire because he has experience on his side and has a better feel for what it takes to achieve success.
He insists he hasn’t changed anything about his game that would explain his consistency on the scoresheet.
“Just being relaxed and confident,” he said.
King will try to pad his numbers and push the Ramblers close to a playoff berth when he laces them up for two games this week — Pictou County Weeks Crushers in a road game Thursday and back home for a Saturday showdown with the South Shore Lumberjacks.
