(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds are adding forward Ben Hawerchuk ahead of the second half of the 2019-20 Atlantic University Sport season.
Hawerchuk, the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, began the season with a team in the Czech Republic before returning to North America and joining the Brampton Beast, of the East Coast Hockey League. In 14 games with the Beast, Hawerchuk scored two goals and added an assist.
His professional career followed an exceptional five-season run with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts.
In 290 regular season games with the Colts, Hawerchuk recorded 67 goals and 69 assists, including 27 goals and 23 assists in his stand-out 20-year-old season, in 2018-19.
“Ben had a great OHL career in Barrie, improving in each of his five seasons, culminating in a career-best 50-point season in 2018-19,” said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall.
MacDougall notes that Hawerchuk is one of only three Colts to play five full seasons with the team, a trio that also includes former UNB star Hunter Tremblay.
“Speaking with a few friends that recently attended UNB, I only heard great things about the program and the development it provides,” said Hawerchuk, referring to Beast teammates and former Reds Alex Dubeau, Chris Clapperton, and Matt Petgrave. “It was my initial, gut feeling that it was going to be the right spot.”
Hawerchuk says he’ll bring a hard forechecking game, a hard shot, and a good skill set to Fredericton.
“He’s the consummate team player who has a strong two-way game,” said MacDougall. “He has an offensive upside, can play multiple forward positions, and will bring plenty of energy and grit to our team.”
The Reds, the defending University Cup and AUS champs, open the second half of their Atlantic conference schedule on January 3rd, at Dalhousie. UNB is 13-4 through the first 17 games of the season.
UNB will host the Windsor Lancers on Sunday, December 29th, in the 2019 Peterbilt Atlantic Pete Kelly Cup. Game time is 4:00pm.
Hawerchuk is expected to be in the line-up.
“I want to make an impact right away,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be a piece that can help win another championship.”
Hawerchuk becomes the second son of a former NHLer to join the current Reds roster.
Second-year Reds forward Matthew Boucher is the son of defenceman Philippe Boucher, who played all or parts of 17 seasons in the NHL.
Dale Hawerchuk was chosen 1st overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL draft, and played 16 seasons with the Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers.
“He has a great hockey pedigree,” said MacDougall, of the younger Hawerchuk. “We expect him to make an immediate impact with our team.”