While North Stars defenceman Connor Sych may not light up the score sheet on any given night, his presence is still felt.
Whether it’s when he throws his 6’4’’ 190 pound frame into an opposing player, or when he uses his long reach to poke the puck away from an impending scoring chance, Sych has become a stalwart on the blue line in North Battleford.
It’s not just locally that his play has been noticed, however.
Sych was named to the 2015 CJHL West Top Prospects roster, and is in Oakville, Ont. to play in a game against the CJHL East roster, in a game to show off the top junior A players in the country.
Sych was the only player from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to make the roster.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was hard at work when he found out the news.
“I was actually at the gym working out,” Sych said. “I got a text from (North Stars head coach and GM) Kevin and he forwarded me an email from the CJHL president. I was kind of shocked and excited about it. I didn’t expect it at all.”
He says he wants to use the experience to fuel his game.
“Obviously just enjoy the experience and take everything in,” Sych said. “Play my game and show everyone what I can bring to the table.”
The players will have more than just one opportunity to show off their skills.
“Tuesday morning there’s off-ice testing, a practice, a team photo and then on-ice testing,” he said. “Later in the day we play the game.”
Events like this are a hot bed for NHL scouts, as they get to watch a number of players at once instead of watching them all individually.
“That’s pretty exciting,” Sych admitted. “It’s something that everybody dreams of.”
The last time the Battlefords North Stars had a player attend the CJHL top prospects game was in 2010, when Kyle Hall and Brody Luhning took part in the game in Dauphin, Man.
