Life On The Other Side: Kyle Dawson Starring In BC

Things have been moving fast for Kyle Dawson this year.

Less than a month ago, Dawson was captaining the London Nationals to within one game of a GOJHL Sutherland Cup championship.

Now, the former Wallaceburg Red Devils star, is living life on the other side of Canada, starring in the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League with the Nanaimo Timbermen.

“Moving across the country has got to be one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done,” said Dawson of coming to British Columbia. “A little stressful at the beginning, but it has been a great experience and I get to play the sport I love which makes it that much better.”

After missing the first two games of the season due to his playoff run with the London Nationals, Dawson has acquitted himself well with the Timbermen, scoring more than 2.5 points per game.

“The T’men are great,” said Dawson of his new team. “A great organization that has been so welcoming and nothing but fun. The team is one big family and we are off to a great start to the season which Nanaimo hasn’t seen in a few, which is nice. The league hasn’t been that much of a transition for me and it is pretty cool to play in some iconic lacrosse arenas out here.”

Dawson, who played Junior B last year for Wallaceburg, has been one of the country’s top players in his age bracket, helping Team Canada win gold at the World Junior Indoor Lacrosse Championships, scoring 11 points in 3 games.

Although he’s now thousands of kilometres away, the memory of life in Ontario, and on the ice is’t distant.

“This year with the Nationals was by far my favourite year of hockey,” explained Dawson. “I have never experienced being on a team that close and everyone bought in and played great hockey. We always had fun but got the job done. I love every single one of my teammates and I wish it could’ve worked out a bit better for all of us.”

For Dawson, the only difference from skates to shoes, has been he finds himself with a little less rest, something he should be used to considered he’s gone coast to coast without missing a beat.

“The transition between sports was quite quick, I played game 7 on a Wednesday night and flew out on Friday to BC. It didn’t take much to switch between skating and running but the biggest difference was not being able to coast around for a little break.”

The Nanaimo Timbermen are currently battling for top spot in the BCJALL.