Aaron Mercer is shown here during an Allan Andrews hockey showcase event in Prince Edward Island earlier this year.
The 14-year-old son of Greg and Rana Mercer of Humber Village is attending school at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame where he will be competing for a goaltending gig with the Notre Dame Hounds AAA bantam hockey team.
Mercer, a six-foot-one standout puckstopper with the Western Kings AAA bantam team last season, was recruited by Hounds coach Jeremy Mylymok at two showcase hockey tournaments — the Montreal Meltdown in Quebec and an Allan Andrews showcase tournament in Prince Edward Island — earlier this summer.
His mom finally gave in to his wish after he sold her on the benefits of being immersed in one of the most prestigious hockey programs in the country as well as a top-notch environment for learning.
He’s not too concerned about missing family and friends. Besides, he has good pal Malcolm Genge of Anchor Point across the hall in the dormitory and there are a handful of players who he knows from playing in a number of Atlantic Canada tournaments over the past couple of years. Incidentally, Mercer, Genge and Stephenville’s Brady Marche were all also recently named to the U15 Newfoundland and Labrador hockey team.
Mercer knows the only way to take his game to another level is to play against the best players in Canada and the United States who flock to Notre Dame in the chase of playing at an elite level. Notre Dame has produced over 100 National Hockey League players so Mercer feels he’s in good hands in Wilcox.
He will be hitting the ice two or more times per week honing his skills on an Olympic-size ice surface with all the bells and whistles of a pro hockey team at his fingertips.
While hockey is his main focus, he also likes the fact that he can try other sports. He’s tossing around the football at Notre Dame and having a blast with it.
There’s no guarantees he won’t sustain an injury from contact with an imposing player from the other side on the gridiron. Is he worried about getting hurt when he’s trying to make a name for himself in the hockey world?
“My mom is, but me, not really,” he said.
He’s only been in Wilcox for a short period of time but he’s settling in nicely. He finds everybody friendly and willing to make life as a hockey player an enjoyable experience for those wearing the jersey. There’s a great support system in place with house parents and senior students acting as house leaders, so he knows he’s not alone if he finds himself missing a little piece of home.
“They say come talk to them if you feel the tiniest bit homesick,” he said. “If you ever need anything at all they are there.”
It’s not a vacation by any means. It’s all business at Notre Dame so players have to be on their best behaviour and follow the rules. He is expected to be respectful and anybody who breaks the rules will face discipline.
“If you act like a kid you’re going be sent home after a while,” he said.
He figures mom will be just fine once she gets used to him being gone. Keeping pucks out of the net is all he wants to focus his energy on now that mom gave him the green light.
“Playing against all these better players is going to make you a lot better,” he said of what drives him to pursue hockey away from the comforts of home.
