52-goal scorer in OHL commits to Brock
Hancock and Sambrook join the Badgers
Brock University’s 2019-20 men’s hockey recruiting class reads like a program from an Ontario Hockey League game.
Centre Kevin Hancock, who finished fifth in scoring with 52 goals and 107 points in 70 games with the London Knights and Owen Sound Attack, and defenceman Jordan Sambrook, who finished his four-year career with the Erie Otters and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with a plus-134, are the latest OHL grads to commit to the Badgers.
“Both players had great OHL careers, and their experience and character are exactly what Brock is looking for,” said Badgers head coach Marty Williamson, who formerly coached in the OHL with the Niagara and Barrie.
“Hancock is an elite scorer; he’s smart and has a great feel for the game. Sambrook is an allaround defenceman who can quarterback our power play and kill penalties.”
They join a recruiting class that includes forward Christian Girhiny, a Thorold native formerly with Erie, Niagara IceDogs rearguard Johnathon Schaefer and goaltender Mario Culina, a Memorial Cup winner with the Windsor Spitfires.
The five-foot-eleven Hancock led the OHL with 329 shots on net and won 56.5 per cent of his faceoffs.
“I chose Brock because of the recent success of their program and the experience Marty Williamson has to further my hockey game,” said Hancock, who recently attended the St. Louis Blues prospect camp.
“I believe that the coaching staff and players can help me improve my game.”
Sambrook, a fifth-round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft with the 137th overall pick, likewise hopes to continue his hockey education at the St. Catharines university.
“The program has had a lot of success,” he said. “I’m looking forward to joining a great group of players and coaches.
“I feel like this is a great stepping-stone for me to help reach my goal of playing pro hockey.”
Tryouts for Brock men’s hockey begin next Wednesday, Sept. 4; and the Badgers’ first exhibition game is Friday, Sept. 13, when they host the Guelph Gryphons at Meridian Centre in the 21st annual Steel Blade Classic.
Tickets for non-students are available at the Meridian Centre box office. Prices are $30 for adults and $10 for children 10 and younger.