The Lloydminster Bobcats were scouting the mid-season Circle K Classic tournament in Calgary when they circled the name of Halifax McDonald’s forward Luke Dooley.
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The junior A Bobcats clearly liked what they saw in the 17-year-old co-captain of the Macs, as the McDonald’s are commonly known in Atlantic
Canada.
Dooley, the latest signing of the Alberta Junior Hockey League team, stepped up at the most opportune time during the prestigious Circle K Classic, which for decades was known as the Macs tournament.
“I think I got player of the game that game, so it was a good game for the Bobcats to come watch, for sure,” said Dooley, a key component of the Macs’ back-to-back championships in the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League.
An initial chat with Lloydminster scouting staff intrigued Dooley, who already had some familiarity with Alberta from visiting with his uncles in Sylvan Lake and Medicine Hat.
“The Bobcats were really interested with how I played up in Calgary,” he said from his Sackville, N.S., home. “I wanted to play out in Alberta, close to my uncles, and I know that the hockey is really good out there. So, when I got the opportunity, I was ready to pounce on it.
“(Moving across Canada), it’s going to be a big change, but I’m ready for the move. I’m really excited.”
The Bobcats sound equally enthused about adding a solid two-way player known for his leadership qualities on and off the ice.
“Our assistant general manager, Andrew Gilbert, dug deep into the portfolio of Luke,” said Bobcats general manager Nigel Dube. “All reports that came back was how great of a person he was, which is a big thing, and how much he cares about the community, which is huge in Lloydminster.
“When you’re a good person like that, it translates directly on the ice, where you have success, which he’s had. And we’d expect him to do the same with the Bobcats.”
Dooley scored 17 goals and 56 points in 37 regular-season games with Halifax during his third and final year in the Nova Scotia U18 major league. He shared the Macs’ captaincy with his longtime friend and teammate, defenceman Connor Foston, who was awarded a scholarship at the Circle K Classic.
During the past year, Dooley also played three Maritime Hockey League games as an affiliated player with the junior A Yarmouth Mariners, one of the flagship franchises in Atlantic Canada. The Mariners were also in the hunt for Dooley’s services for the coming year.
“Yeah, they were all over him,” Dube said. “A few different teams were, too. It was … more of a marathon than a sprint to get him here, working with Luke and his family and his adviser as well. A lot of time went into it, but we’re willing to put the work in for those kinds of people, to get them in our organization.
“I know everybody has their learning curve the first year of junior, but he’s dynamic, he’s effective, and I think he’ll be maybe quicker than we expect to contribute offensively. We’re excited about that. We want to be dynamic and he’s going to bring that edge for us.”
Dooley, who turns 18 in December, described his opportunity in Lloyd as a life and hockey experience that he couldn’t refuse.
“I know they’re getting a new rink,” he said of the Bobcats’ imminent move into the state-of-the-art Cenovus Energy Hub. “They were really pushing that (feature) when they were talking to me.
“I know the city is on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan — that’s pretty cool — and they always told me that Lloydminster hockey is the big thing in town. Like, the Bobcats, they’re the thing. That’s what I like.”
Dooley was volunteering with fellow Macs last week in Halifax on the same day he interviewed with the Meridian Source.
“I like to have a big part in the community, talking to people and being a good role model for kids,” he said. “The Bobcats told me a lot about the volunteering stuff they do and just having a big part in the community. I think that was a big part of why I picked Lloyd.
“I know the hockey in Alberta is the top around Canada, especially out west. It’s really good hockey. It’s a really cool experience that I’ll have for a lifetime. An opportunity like this doesn’t come every day.”
The five-foot-11, 170-pound left-winger is going to pack his work boots, along with his skates, before making the move to Lloyd.
“A big part of my game is just working hard,” said Dooley, whose parents are both natives of Newfoundland and Labrador and whose sister plays competitive volleyball. “I’m going to work as hard as I can every time I’m on the ice, whether it’s the defensive zone or the offensive zone. I can create offence from working hard below the net and making good passes in front of the net. When I get in tight, I’m able to use my hands to score goals.”
Dooley, who graduates from Millwood High School in June, wasn’t sure whether his exam schedule would allow him to attend the Bobcats’ development camp, set for June 6-8. Either way, he’s gung-ho about coming to Lloyd’s main camp, which begins on Labour Day weekend.
In joining the Bobcats, he follows a Lloyd path taken a decade ago by fellow Nova Scotians like Noah Bauld, Morgan Messenger and Nick Quillan.
Gus El-Tahhan, a forward from New Brunswick, represented the Atlantic region with the latest
edition of the Bobcats.
IT’S A BOY
Dube and his fiancé Amy celebrated the birth of son Brooks on May 8.
“Maybe (we’ll) keep him away from hockey,” the GM joked about the newest member of the Bobcats’ family.
“I say that now and he’ll be skating next year.”
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