When Connor Hicks was cut from his Bantam AA team, he decided to switch to goaltending from playing forward. The Ottawa Junior Senators are very happy that he did.
Acquired Nov. 1, Hicks had an immediate impact and was named the Central Canada Hockey League’s (CCHL) Player of the Week for (Nov. 7-13). Overall, the Kanata, ON resident has been excellent, turning in a 17-1-1 record in 24 games between the pipes for the Junior Sens.
“Connor has been rock solid for us,” said Ottawa General Manager/Coach Martin Dagenais. “He came to our team with the right attitude, and was accepted by the other players right away. His experience will certainly be valuable for us in the playoffs.”
Hicks also came to Ottawa with three years and nearly 100 games worth of playing time in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he played most recently for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
“I was lucky enough to get drafted by the Belleville Bulls out of Junior B,” Hicks explained. “Playing in the OHL was a tremendous experience. There are a lot great players there and I was able to develop quite a bit as a goalie. So many good things happened for me that wouldn’t have happened had I not gone there.”
That experience has come in handy for the Junior Senators. The 20-year-old has posted five shutouts thus far and has teamed with Francis Boisvert to give Ottawa a solid goaltending tandem. Despite both Hicks and Boisvert missing some time with injuries, OJS has allowed just 126 goals against this season.
Hicks was out four weeks but came back and picked up where he left off. Since returning on Jan. 6 with a 38-save effort in a 2-1 win over the Carleton Place Canadians, Hicks has won 10 games. His goals-against-average for the season is a miniscule 1.91 to go with an outstanding .935 save percentage.
For his efforts Hicks was named the Gongshow Gear second star of the month for January and he was also named the CCM Goalie of the Month.
“I’m pretty lucky to have a big body and that helps a lot,” the 6-4, 195-pounder said. “Also, I move pretty well; I can get from side to side very quickly. I’m also pretty good at controlling my rebounds.”
Hicks’s play was noticed by Dalhousie University and he will head to Nova Scotia next fall to compete in the CIS. He’s planning to study criminal justice and is eventually looking for a career in law enforcement. Several members of his family are in the RCMP.
“They came to watch me play and then offered me a spot,” Hicks said. “I’m very familiar with Halifax and it’s a great school. I did my research and I knew it would be a good place for me. The quality of hockey will be good, too. They play in the CIS’s strongest division.”
In the meantime, Hicks is enjoying playing in Ottawa and living at home again with his parents, James and Kathy, after four years in the OHL.
