OLDS — Two players have signed letters of intent to play for the Olds Grizzlys, the junior A hockey team has announced.
They are Coden Fournier, 17, of Fort Saskatchewan and Mitch Patrick, 16, of Airdrie.
Fournier stands 6’2”, weighs 165 pounds and has a right-handed shot.
According to the Elite Prospects website, in 36 games with the Fort Saskatchewan AAA U18 Rangers, he scored nine goals, picked up 23 assists for 32 points in 36 games and spent 40 minutes in the penalty box.
Before that, he played a couple of seasons for the Shawnigan Lake Academy U15 and U18 teams.
“Coden has an excellent set that we feel will translate to the junior game very well,” an announcement on the Grizzlys’ website says.
“He has great vision offensively, and contributes in all facets of the game. Coden has even played defence for his team this year."
Fournier caught the Grizzlys’ attention with his play during the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) playoffs in Pentiction, B.C.
In the 2021-22 playoffs, he got one goal and one assist in three games, logging 12 minutes in the penalty box.
“His performance this year playing for the U18 AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers confirmed our opinion. We feel he will be a key piece in our quest to improve as a team,” the Grizzlys website said.
Patrick is not the biggest of players.
Both the Grizzlys and the Elite Prospects site give his height at 5’10.” The Grizzlys list his weight at 140 pounds. Elite Prospects is more generous, saying he weighs 161 pounds.
In any case, the Grizzlys are high on his potential.
“We think Mitch has the skill set to become an excellent offensive player in the AJHL,” the Grizzlys say on their website. “He has an exceptional IQ for the game offensively, along with the puck skills to execute on the ice.”
This season with the International Hockey Academy (IHA) U18 prep team, Patrick racked up 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 26 games. He also picked up three assists in five games during the playoffs.
He’s also logged some ice time with the Grizzlys as an affiliate player.
The Grizzlys first caught sight of Patrick’s ability a couple of years ago when he attended one of the team’s spring camps.
“Since then, his performance at the Edge School last season and his performance this season at the International Hockey Academy have convinced us that he is ready to make the jump to junior hockey next season,” the Grizzlys said on their website.
