Blayne Oliver Signs With OJHL’s Trenton Golden Hawks
Blayne Oliver takes on an opponent with the Chatham Maroons – Photo by Kelsey Vermeersch/ CKSN.ca
Blayne Oliver with the Chatham Maroons – Photo by Helen Heath[/caption]According to Oliver, the Junior A Golden Hawks give him an opportunity to improve his game, and continue to climb the hockey ladder. The decision however, wasn’t easy, and had to do with his current and future aspirations for education.
“It was definitely a tough decision to leave Chatham, but I did because I was looking to take my game to the next level,” says Oliver. “Another big reason was the schooling situation. Had I stayed in Chatham I would have went to university full time in Windsor. Now that I’m in Trenton I will be taking part time courses at Queens University, which is one of the best in the province, and retain full eligibility for NCAA.”
Trenton finished 6th in the OJHL’s North East Conference last season with a 34-17-1-1 record, and according to head coach and general manager Jerome Dupont, the Golden Hawks will be counting on Oliver to step in and add depth to their lineup, while also showcasing the defender to NCAA schools.
“We added Blayne to help stabilize our defense,” said Dupont, who previously coached Oliver in spring hockey. “We feel at a bare minimum that he can play a shutdown role for us and help kill penalties. Our goal is to help him obtain a US hockey scholarship.”
The fact that Oliver knew Trenton’s head coach and GM from a previous playing experience, made the decision for the former Chatham-Kent Cyclones ‘AAA’ product, that much easier.
“Playing for coach DuPont before signing made me more confident because there is less uncertainty going into Trenton,” says Oliver. “I know his coaching style and some of his systems that he likes to use which are all compatible with my playing style. I feel that I can learn a lot from coach DuPont.”
In two seasons with the Chatham Junior B Maroons, Oliver played 82 games, scoring 3 goals and adding 16 assists along with 97 penalty minutes.
For the six-foot-one defenseman, the Maroons provided him with a spot to grow his game, and open the door for his next step.
“Playing for the Maroons was great for my development,” says Oliver. “I had the opportunity to play with some very talented players and learn from some knowledgable coaches. The jump to the OJHL would be much more difficult had I not spent the last two years in Chatham.”
Oliver joins former Dresden Kings and Belle River Canadiens defensemen Dede Cato and Kody Gagnon as locals recently signing in the OJHL, as the duo will spend next season with the reigning league champion Toronto Lakeshore Patriots.
Oliver will also see another familiar face early in the preseason, as the Golden Hawks are scheduled to face the CCHL’s Carleton Place Canadians, who feature Chatham’s Jake Reed, in a pair of exhibition games August 21 and 24.