Lloydminster Athletics defenceman Blair Erickson is the next one-to-watch hockey prospect out of Irma, Alta.
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Erickson stands out for more than his size — six-foot-six and 200 pounds — as one of the leaders with the U18 AAA Athletics in the Junior Prospects Hockey League (JPHL).
The high school senior caught the eye of the Spruce Grove Saints, prompting the BCHL team to call him up for an early January audition and later sign him to play junior A longer-term, after his U18 career.
Back in the team’s AJHL days, Spruce Grove’s prominent faces more than a decade ago included Irma natives Carson Soucy and Parker Mackay. Both went on to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. Soucy, now a member of the New York Islanders, kept going all the way to the NHL.
The string of big-name hockey players from small-town Irma continued with the likes of former WHL star Jagger Firkus, a Seattle Kraken NHL prospect now in his sophomore AHL season.
“It must be something in the water,” Erickson said with a smile. “There’s lot of good Irma players coming out of there.”
Erickson was home in Irma for the Christmas holidays when Spruce Grove management invited him to join the Saints for a BCHL stint.
“I was just sitting in my house on New Year’s Eve when I got a call from Spruce,” he said. “I was pretty excited. It was a really fun experience. It was unexpected, but it was fun.”
Erickson capped his three-game junior A promotion on Jan. 9 as he scored the winning goal in the Saints’ 6-3 victory over the Okotoks Oilers.
Beginning with his BCHL rookie lap Jan. 2, he appeared in three straight Spruce Grove wins before returning to Lloydminster for the rest of his final year with the Athletics.
The Border City is about an hour and a half from Irma, which was well-represented in Lloyd last Thursday (Feb. 12) as the Athletics shut out the Morinville-based Titans 2-0 in what was billed as a JPHL rivalry game at Russ Robertson Arena.
On a power play late in the first period, Erickson potted the winning goal just a few feet away from his strong contingent of supporters, including his grandparents.
“Yeah, there was lots of Irma people here to watch,” he said. “Grandmas, grandpas, family friends, lots of people. It was pretty special, having them here.”
Erickson’s hometown connections in Lloyd run deep. His billet and one of his coaches is Athletics general manager Ambrose Firkus, who is from one of Irma’s most prominent hockey families.
Ambrose’s brother Slade plays in the BCHL with Cowichan Valley Capitals, after skating in the AJHL last season with the Bonnyville Pontiacs. Their brother Jagger, just two years removed from his 126-point championship season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, now is a point-per-game forward with Seattle’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds of California. Jagger showcased his skills last week during AHL all-star festivities, winning the accuracy shooting competition with a perfect 4-for-4 performance.
Skill development on and off the ice is an integral part of the Athletics multi-level program in Lloydminster. Erickson has been with the U18 AAA Athletics for the past three years, after his U15 AAA season with the Lloyd minor hockey team then known as the Bobcats.
While most of the Athletics’ games are played out of town, and often with less profile than the traditional provincial leagues in the hockey food chain, Erickson believes the program has benefited him appreciably.
“I think it’s really good,” he said about the JPHL calibre. “Comparing it to my first year, there was lots of Dub guys and other junior guys going through. I think it’s slowed down a little bit, but it’s slowly picking back up. There are definitely good players playing here.”
Last week’s rare JPHL stop in Lloyd attracted a good-sized yet compact crowd at Russ Robertson. The afternoon tilt didn’t disappoint, with a tight battle, strong goaltending and crunching hits.
“It feels really good,” said Erickson, 17. “It was our last (home game) of the year, too, so it was nice to get that win. I think both of us teams, we’re used to small rinks — with them playing out of Morinville. It was a war today, definitely.”
Preceding that war was a U17 AAA duel that saw those Titans defeat the younger Athletics 8-4.
In the U18 AAA game, Lloyd goaltender Zachary Gorkoff stopped all 34 shots he faced, including a power-play surge in the third period.
“Yeah, he played unreal,” Erickson said. “All the games we win with him, they’re mostly shutouts, so he’s doing pretty good for himself. He’s definitely (been) stronger coming into the end of the year.”
The Titans’ Bennett Neilson made 17 saves on 19 shots. Shia Josue, the Athletics’ speedy centre, broke loose in the late going to make it a 2-0 game and stem the guests’ pressure.
The victory kicked off a busy four-game weekend for Lloydminster (9-18-2), which went on to lose three road contests. In their final game Sunday, the Athletics dropped a 4-3 decision to Bow Valley (22-4-2), the top team in the Prairies Division. Lloyd fell 6-1 to Edmonton (21-5-2) on Friday and 6-4 to the Titans (12-13-3) on Saturday in the Morinville end of that rivalry series.
PUSH FOR PLAYOFFS
The Athletics are back in action this weekend at Nisku, Alta., for play-in action that determines whether they advance to the playoffs. On Friday, they face Kootenay, B.C., in the first of potentially three must-win games.
While he’s focused on playing a solid defensive game, Erickson’s offensive instincts have also been evident in the JPHL. Including a two-goal game Saturday and a three-point effort Sunday, he leads the Athletics with 15 goals and 28 points after 29 games. The crafty Josue is just one point back, with 11 goals and 27 points in 29 games.
“It’s good, it’s fast,” Erickson said about the U18 AAA pace this season. “You can definitely see a change from U17 to U18. It’s faster, with all the (2008-born) kids.”
The Athletics’ kids gained a pro mentor this year when former NHL defenceman Jeff Woywitka joined the program’s coaching staff. The Vermilion native and ex-coach of the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats is sharing first-hand experience with the likes of Erickson.
“It’s really good,” Erickson said about Woywitka’s presence. “Look at the (shutout on the) scoreboard today. He’s definitely taught us how to keep goals in front of us and not let anything get through and happen. That’s kind of what he did when he was up playing in the NHL.
“You can probably tell, on the bench, he’s getting fired up and (also) keeping it loose. Oh yeah, a little bit of everything.”
HOCKEY ROLE MODELS
Erickson has retained many hockey and life lessons over the years, not the least of which were those from his own family members.
“Oh, that’s a good question,” he said when asked who he tries to model his game after. “I wouldn’t really say any NHL players, but just kind of growing up and listening to my dad and my grandpa — they were all hockey players.”
Of course, Erickson’s hometown influences include Soucy, a 31-year-old defenceman now in his seventh NHL season.
“I like how he plays. He’s like a stay-at-home D-man. He doesn’t let guys score on him. He doesn’t mess around.”
One of Erickson’s towering teammates with the Athletics is six-foot-seven defenceman Deverin Woywitka, who is Jeff’s nephew.
Comprised of big and small boys alike, the Athletics use the former ATCO trailer beside the Robertson rink as their dressing room. It was previously home for the Lakeland College women’s team before the Rustlers moved to the Hub’s Co-op Community Arena this year.
“It’s a really good room,” Erickson said. “And our clubhouse is pretty nice. We have our own gym and turf and shooting lanes and everything. It’s just a couple of minutes down the road from here.”
Erickson’s next step in hockey is not far away, either. When the Athletics’ season ends, he hopes to join Spruce Grove for the rest of this BCHL season and beyond.
“I think once my season is done, I’m going to head up there and hang out, go practise and maybe play a game or two, depending on if they need me,” he said. “When they call or when they need me, I’ll go.”
That was the case when he answered the call in January and gained junior A playing experience that should serve him well the next time around.
“It’s awesome, to be able to play those games, and kind of get me ready for next year,” said Erickson, who knows what the Saints want from him. “Just being big, using my stick, playing defensive, not letting guys get by me.”
Now a Grade 12 student at Holy Rosary High School in Lloydminster, Erickson plans to transfer back to Irma when his hockey duties with the Athletics and Saints are completed in their respective seasons.
“I’ll go back to Irma and graduate with all my buddies.”
Two of his first cousins from Irma play with elite girls’ hockey teams in Lloydminster. Sawyer Mackay is a forward with the U18 AAA Steelers, while Myla Holt is on defence with the U18 AA team.
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