Evenhuis excited to play junior hockey

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This year’s edition of the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners is filled with rookies, many of whom are young.

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One of the best of the group is Ryan Evenhuis. The Thornton, Ont., Native is just 17 years old and made the jump to the junior “A” level after playing at the midget “AA” level. Despite the leap to Midget “AAA” and having to deal with the pandemic, Evenhuis is already contributing and getting used to living in another city.

In six games, he has eight points and is getting more and more used to what it takes to play at this level. He notes that the game is much faster and decisions on the ice have to be made much faster, but he feels like he’s learning to play at this level and that by getting to know his teammates and his team better. teammates, the chemistry is getting stronger.

Evenhuis’s journey to the Gold Miners came from attending a summer camp and participating in a tournament. After that, general manager and head coach Kyle Smart signed on Evenhuis.

When the signing was announced, Coach Smart said, “Ryan is a fast, strong and agile forward who sees the ice well.

As for KL, like many players, he didn’t know much about the city, but a sense of community has already developed in him.

“Ever since I arrived, I love it. I like its size, I like a small community, ”he says. To put it in perspective, his hometown of Thornton is very close to Barrie but has less than a thousand people. “It’s kind of the same as Thornton, it reminds me of home.”

Evenhuis is currently participating in KLDCS. He says that even though he misses his friends at home, he enjoys going to his new school.

“I made new friends and it’s the same. My homeschool is a bit bigger, but I like that KLDCS is smaller because you get to know people faster.

Off the ice he enjoys spending time with his host family the Crickards, training at My Gym and once there is enough snow on the trails he wants to jump on a sled.

As for his future aspirations, he, like many players, is hoping to get a college scholarship, but in the meantime he wants to continue to improve his skills and become the best player he can be.