That’s the attitude Jesse Hickey has when it comes to playing the game he loves.
Hickey, a two-way winger with the Western Kings AAA bantam team last season, has taken his game to Nova Scotia where he’s suiting up at Newbridge Academy — one of the fastest-growing schools in the province with a new multi-million dollar building expected to be open next week.
Hickey attended a showcase tournament for AAA players — the Montreal Meltdown — earlier this year with the hopes of catching somebody’s attention.
He wasn’t home from Montreal long when he was contacted by officials from Newbridge Academy who were interested in having him join the team this year.
“I just wanted to see what it was like and see how I did,” Hickey said of his decision to enter the midget ranks away from the comforts of home.
Hickey brings physicality and a decent set of hands to the table for his new team. He’s one of those guys who works the corners and has been known to try to go through guys when he can’t go around him.
But, he’s proven to be a reliable player in both ends of the rink at the AAA bantam level and even though he doesn’t consider himself a big sniper he has the ability to put points on the board as evident by his 12 goals and 10 assists in 18 games for the Kings last year in a season cut short by a concussion sustained from a clean check.
He admits he has times where he experiences some dizziness, but was feeling good after a team practice earlier this week when he chatted with The Western Star.
“It’s a good environment here. It’s encouraging,” said Hickey, son of Shawn and Jill Hickey.
A fresh start with a new team is exciting for him and he plans on making the most of the opportunity.
At five-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Hickey knows what he does best and he’s prepared to do it in his effort to earn playing team and take his game up a notch because it will be the highest level he’s ever played at.
“Go in the corners and battle,” he said.
