Former Old Grizzlys captain Chase Olsen is working out and helping at his parents' farm west of Olds as he prepares for the next stage in his life -- playing hockey for the Merrimack College Warriors, an NCAA Division 1 team just outside of Boston.
"I'm really excited for that," the 20-year-old said during an interview with the Albertan.
The Warriors play in the very competitive Hockey East division with such high-powered teams as Boston College, Boston University, Providence, and Northeastern.
"They're looking for high-character guys who can make an impact on campus and in the classroom and obviously on the ice," Olsen says.
"They've been putting a lot of money in their hockey program lately -- for the past 15 years or so -- because hockey's such a competitive conference there and you have such high-end names.
"Merrimack's kind of more of a private school, though; so a little more academic, but smaller of a campus, but recruiting-wise, very competitive that way. They're looking for a guy to come in and be a key role and score goals and be a leader as soon as I step in."
Olsen plans to major in physics or chemistry -- major in one, minor in the other -- and then go to grad school.
For the remainder of this month and perhaps a wee bit of July, Olsen plans to work out at the gym in the Ralph Klein Centre.
He begins summer classes on July 9.
"I'll train there for a month and tour around Boston for a bit and then come back for the last couple of weeks of summer and then fly back for the season in September," Olsen says.
To make sure he's ready to play at the higher level demanded of NCAA tier 1 athletes, Olsen plans to bulk up to improve his strength as well as work on his speed and endurance.
"I think every level you go, everybody's a little bigger, a little smarter, a little faster, so you just work on your strengths and work harder on your weaknesses so, skating's something you have to work on your entire hockey career. Getting stronger: same with that," he says.
"On the ice, making sure I've got a heads-up play and making smart plays and confidence with the puck."
This past January, Olsen was traded from the Grizzlys to the Spruce Grove Saints.
It was an exciting time for him. The Saints not only won the Alberta Junior Hockey League's North Division title but went on to win the league championship, downing the Okotoks Oilers in five games.
They then took on the BCJHL champion Wenatchee Wild for the Doyle Cup but were again beaten in five games.
Olsen recalls one fond memory from those playoffs.
"I had a game-tying goal in Okotoks there to win the game in Game 5 so that was a big highlight there (against) their top centreman," he says.
