Spence not looking back as he continues to turn heads

Jordan Spence keeps producing as he moves up to higher levels of competition.

The Cornwall native went undrafted at the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft when 250 players heard their names called by the 18 squads restocking their cupboards with prospects.

However, the offensive defenceman went on to flourish in Summerside with the D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals, amassing 52 points in 50 junior A games and turning heads along the way.

The Moncton Wildcats selected him in the second round of the 2018 QMJHL draft. He’s fifth in team scoring and first among its defencemen with 33 points in 40 games as a rookie.

And he’s garnering a ton of attention for the NHL draft, which will be held in June in Vancouver. “It’s pretty awesome to hear that,” Spence said Friday. “But right now, I’m just trying not to focus on the NHL draft and the rankings and play my game.” The offensive defenceman had a good season in his junior draft year and never really received an explanation why he wasn’t selected. He is currently five-foot-10 and 170 pounds, but that isn’t as much of an issue as it once was.

“Not getting drafted in my first year was a bummer, but I think I’ve improved a lot after the draft,” Spence said. “It . . . motivated me to become a better player.” Wildcats head coach Darren Rumble said they quickly noticed the youngster putting up big numbers in Summerside. Rumble said it is hard to get a real good read on players without seeing them live.

“I really had no idea just how good his hockey sense was, his reads and his playmaking ability,” he said.

The former Prince Edward Island Senators defenceman didn’t foresee Spence stepping right into Moncton’s lineup and producing the way he has.

“He’s been outstanding for us,” Rumble said. “At this level, he’s a franchise defenceman. I can’t believe he snuck through the draft the first time.”

Spence is another example for young hockey players to not give up when things don’t go their way at the draft.

“It doesn’t mean

it’s over,” Rumble said. “The draft just gives you the opportunity to go to a camp. . . It definitely doesn’t mean the door is shut and Jordan is a good example of that.” While Spence’s bread and butter is his offence, he’s far from a one-trick pony and not a liability in his own zone.

“I am a defenceman, so I have to shut down the forwards that are coming towards us,” he said. “I’m not six-foot-two, so that’s why every time I’m on the ice I have to make smart plays.” It means being positionally sound, making good reads and taking good paths towards pucks.