(FREDERICTON, NB) Ironman forward Jason Willms is joining the UNB Reds recruiting class of 2020.
Following an impressive four-year Ontario Hockey League career during which he never missed a game, Willms has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent, and will join the defending Atlantic University Sport champions ahead of the 2020-21 season.
“I thought about a couple of other options, but at the end of the day, I felt UNB was the best fit for me, both academically and hockey-wise,” said Willms.
Between 2016 and the end of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, Willms played in 264 consecutive regular season games, just eight games shy of the OHL’s current consecutive games streak.
“We’re extremely excited to add Jason,” said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “He’s a tremendous player, brings strong leadership traits, and was a key player on a team that was competing for their league supremacy.”
Willms spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his major junior career with the Barrie Colts, a team he captained in 2018-19 and 2019-20, until being traded to the London Knights.
In his 264 regular season games, the Kitchener, Ontario, native scored 82 goals and added 99 assists.
“I like to think I play a hard 200-foot game,” said Willms. “I’m someone who is strong on faceoffs, and takes care of the defensive zone first, but can chip in offensively.”
Willms is a former Colts teammate of Reds forward Ben Hawerchuk, and is a good friend of Reds defenceman Connor Hall. Both helped in the recruiting process.
“They had nothing but great things to say about UNB and the program,” said Willms. “It was good to hear how much they love playing there and going to school there.”
Willms is also a good friend of forward Austen Keating, who will also join the Reds in 2020-21.
“As soon as Keats told me he’d committed to UNB, that was basically the cherry on top.”
“Jason will bring a fiercely competitive mindset and work ethic to our program,” added MacDougall. “He’s durable, has elite faceoff skills, and the ability to score clutch goals for his team. As captain in Barrie, he was among the team’s leaders. We heard great things about his character, leadership, and compete-level from various OHL coaches.”
Willms says he was drawn to UNB by the winning culture and the team’s commitment to getting better every day.
“First and foremost, my goal is to get a degree,” he said. “And I want to help extend UNB’s traditions of success and national championships.”
Willms will study Business while attending UNB.
PHOTOS: Terry Wilson/OHL Images-Barrie Colts