Tenacious on the puck with quick acceleration.
Willing to punish the opponent with physicality.
Not afraid to go to the tough areas of the ice to create scoring chances.
Don’t let the infectious smile fool you.
That’s the grinding style of play Jonathan Park of Deer Lake wants to bring to the provincial 16U male hockey team that is being groomed to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2018 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta.
Park is one of the hopefuls for the Games squad that has been hitting the ice this week at the 2018 Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador High Performance Program camp at the Corner Brook Civic Centre.
Park suited up for the Central IcePak in the provincial AAA bantam hockey league last winter and enjoyed the quick pace of the game. That quick pace was on display at the camp this week as Park was all business trying to impress the coaching staff that will be picking the roster for the Games in Red Deer.
Playing the game at the elite level is something Park is excited about because he knows the only way to get scouts to notice his skillset is to play in an environment that allows players to line up against bigger and better players.
He is hoping to crack the roster of the Western Kings this season so he can play lots of hockey at a high level before going to Alberta — if he’s fortunate enough to make the cut.
“I think it’s awesome that I made it this far. I’m really proud of myself,” he said.
At the end of the day he only worries about what he can control. He wants to be a guy who people talk about when it comes to players who give it their all.
“That he works hard and he can be counted on when he’s on the ice,” he said.
