Craig Spence made his mark in minor hockey as a smooth-skating, offensively skilled defenceman.
The Chatham Maroons don’t want him to change now that he’s in the junior ranks.
“That’s one of the reasons why we got him in here because he’s that new-age defenceman who can jump up into the play,” Maroons head coach Kyle Makaric said. “His feet are his best asset. He skates really well for a young player and we don’t want to have to reel him in or try to change his game too much.
“He’s been successful at what he’s done to get here, so if he keeps growing into the role that he has, he’s going to be a successful offensive defenceman at this level and the next level.”
The 16-year-old rookie from Chatham signed with his hometown team after attending the Mississauga Steelheads’ training camp. He was a seventh-round pick in this year’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
“It’s definitely exciting to be a part of the Chatham Maroons this year,” said the six-foot-one Spence. “I think we have a good squad and we should go far in the playoffs.”
Spence was the highest-scoring defenceman in Alliance Hockey last season. He had a team-high 27 points, including seven goals, in 33 regular-season games for the Chatham-Kent Minor Midget ‘AAA’ Cyclones.
He received a taste of junior ‘B’ hockey when the Maroons called him up for four games. He fit in well and picked up two assists.
He expects that brief stint will help him this season.
“It definitely makes a difference having the experience,” he said. “It just gets you ready for playing against the 20-year-olds and stuff like that.”
He also brought back some advice from the Steelheads’ camp.
“Basically, just be tougher in my own zone a little bit more,” he said.
Makaric is thrilled with the progress of the Spence and the Maroons’ other rookie defenceman, 17-year-old Jack Zekelman. Both have a good hockey IQ, he said.
“No longer do these young guys have to take a long time to get used to the league,” he said. “They’re so smart that it takes them a few weeks and they’re going to hit the ground running and they’re going to be just fine.”
The Maroons will host the London Nationals at 7 p.m. Sunday at Chatham Memorial Arena.
Last season, the Nationals ousted the Maroons in a six-game semifinal in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference.
Barraclough in NAHL
Former Maroons forward Josh Barraclough is now playing in the North American Hockey League with the Shreveport Mudbugs.
The NAHL is a Tier II circuit.
Barraclough, 19, had 25 points in 40 games last season with the Sarnia Legionnaires.
The Corunna native was traded to the Legionnaires in 2016-17 during his second season with the Maroons. He was a Peterborough Petes draft pick in 2015.
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