Even though he's got years to spare in junior hockey, it's increasingly looking like it's now or never if Christopher Gerrie, the Grizzlys' star sophomore, wants to win an AJHL title.
There's been no falling off in the 18-year-old forward's play since co-winning the CJHL's rookie-of-the-year award last season. He's currently tied for fifth in the AJHL scoring race with 19 goals and 20 assists in 35 games played.
He was also named to the Canada West selection camp roster ahead of the 2014 World Junior A Challenge.
But the funny thing about developmental leagues is that the better an athlete performs, the shorter one's shelf life is.
While it's no guarantee he won't be back, this looks like the Red Deer native's final season with the Grizzlys, having signed a letter of intent this year to study and play at Michigan Tech University.
“Sounds like I won't be back here next year. Things can change but it's looking like I'm leaving next year to go to Michigan,” Gerrie said. “We'll see how this year goes. We'll see how much I grow and gain weight and stuff. They had some expectations I had to meet.”
Gerrie hasn't decided what he will study yet but said he's leaning toward athletic therapy.
He first caught the interest of scouts when he played at the AJHL Showcase during his rookie year. They've kept in touch since, watched his games and eventually offered him a scholarship.
“He's a kid that's going to excel at that level. It's a very high-speed, high pace, very talented level and he's a type of player that will fit right in there,” said Grizzlys head coach Brett Hopfe.
The Michigan Tech University Huskies are a good team, one that includes four NHL draft picks on its roster. For the week of Nov. 17, they were ranked the best college hockey team in the U.S. with a 10-0 record at that point in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
“They've done a tremendous job recruiting the last couple of years there when you look at the number of draft picks they have on that team,” Hopfe said.
“It's nice for Chris to be put into a situation like that. Maybe down the road he'll have the opportunity to win an NCAA championship, which is a very high honour and not something a lot of people do.”
As far as the Grizzlys' pursuit of the Gas Drive Cup is concerned, they are a much different team since the start of the season as management has made multiple additions to the roster, upgrading every position.
The Grizzlys are deep, they have a goalie that set an AJHL save percentage record last season and they can fill up the scoreboard.
So come playoff time, Gerrie's got help.
“This is a huge year and I'd like nothing more than to win a championship with Olds here. I have to treat this season like my 20-year-old year. It's my last year so I'm going to have to lay it all on the line in the playoffs after Christmas.”
