Blyth steps up to fill gap on bantam blue-line
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/05/2017 (3294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
James Blyth was introduced to bantam hockey on Friday afternoon.
And, for the most part, the 13-year-old Brandonite succeeded.
“He made a lot of smart plays, he’s a big strong boy and he can take the hitting,” said Westman Thunder head coach Sean Madill. “That’s what I’m looking for.”
Blyth was on the ice for a couple goals during his team’s 6-4 loss to the Saskatchewan Nationals in boys’ 2003 division action at the Source for Sports AAA Hockey Challenge at Enns Brothers Arena, but Madill chalked that up to the young defenceman’s anxiousness.
“He did panic a few times on the ice and he threw the puck away blindly,” Madill added. “But that’s going to come along with playing more.”
Blyth wasn’t even supposed to suit up for the Thunder, however a late injury to one of the team’s players meant Madill had to go looking for another rearguard.
In stepped Blyth, who had just come off playing his second season of peewee hockey with a Hockey Brandon house team. He participated in a couple of Thunder practices before stepping onto the ice for his first game.
“It was quite fun,” Blyth said. “It’s fast-moving but it’s really fun to play with high-skilled players.
“I’m just not used to bantam yet and the hitting is new to me so just trying to get used to the hitting and not get crushed”
That said, it’d also been a while since he was on the ice, with his peewee team’s season ending a couple months ago.
As such, staying in peak physical condition is something Blyth prides himself in as a young teenager.
“In my basement I have a total gym and a bike and on the total gym I’ll do curls and things like that and I’ll do 10 pushups a day and then as many situps as I can,” he said.
Where does this desire to remain fit during months he’s not skating come from at such a young age?
“It’s just how I like to play,” Blyth added. “I like to play with some speed and then try to move as fast as I can to try to get my legs moving.”
Getting his legs to move even faster, however, is one of the things Blyth is going to be working hard on in the off-season as he gets ready to land a spot on a top bantam team.
Improving his stick work — handling and shooting the puck — are things also on his radar.
He’s hoping games with the Thunder provide him with a solid foundation ahead of the full-time jump to bantam next season.
» nliewicki@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @liewicks