Now a Knight
Colby Huggan having strong rookie season with Charlottetown’s major midget squad
Colby Huggan grew up watching Charlottetown’s major midget hockey team.
Now he’s the teenager the next generation is looking up to.
The 15-year-old Charlottetown native is in his rookie season with the Luke Beck-coached Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Knights.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing for the Knights,” he said before Wednesday’s practice. “When Luke contacted me, I already knew I was going to go and play.”
Huggan was an affiliate player last year while playing bantam for the Central Attack. He practised with the major midgets and played four games.
“All the second- and thirdyear guys told me the ins and outs of the league, and it’s kind of helped me (this year),” Huggan said.
The five-foot-nine, 135pound playmaking centre has hit the ground running in major midget, despite getting used to the size and speed that comes with playing against older competition. He has played on a line with captain Max Chisholm and leading scorer Simon Hughes and the trio has clicked leading a young Knights squad to a 5-9-2 record and making the playoffs at the Monctonian.
“The puck has just been finding my stick and I’ve been putting it in the net and finding open guys,” said Huggan, who has six goals and five assists for 11 points in 12 games in regular season play. “We know where each other is going to be in the offensive zone.”
Beck said Huggan was one of the core players they wanted to be part of their organization.
“We were really happy when Colby decided to join our program and since then he’s been a major asset for us both on and off the ice,” he said. “I give Colby full credit. He’s jumped into the league and taken a back seat to no one.”
Huggan is a coach’s dream. When he’s at the rink, he’s got a smile on his face and works hard to improve his game.
“He wants to get better and he’s not afraid to challenge himself,” Beck said. “He wants to be a hockey player.”
Huggan, a gifted offensive player, is working on becoming a well-rounded, 200-foot player. He wants to get drafted in major junior in June and is putting in the work to make that a strong possibility.
“I give him true credit,” Beck said. “He’s not just worried about what the stats say, he’s worried about the other aspects of the game, and that’s what makes him the unique young hockey player that he is and the reason he is having the success he has had early on in this league.”
Huggan was part of a strong Attack squad last season that won the Monctonian and Spud tournaments, plus a provincial championship.
“It was pretty sweet. It was remarkable,” Huggan said. “You won’t forget it.”
The strong hockey season rolled into success on the diamond.
Huggan was a shortstop and pitcher with the Island bantam AAA baseball team that won bronze at the nationals.
Huggan, Nolan Stewart and Will Morrison were all on the ball team and play with the Knights.
“It’s pretty sweet. We’re all good friends,” said Huggan, whose first love is hockey.