The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team will welcome two former major junior players, Owen Werthner and Mike McNamee, to their roster for next season.
It will be their first year competing at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level, but it won’t be their first season as teammates.
Werthner and McNamee spent the 2011-12 season playing together on the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Although they finished their junior hockey careers in different leagues last season, they will be reunited this fall.
“[McNamee] is a good player to play with because he opens the ice up for everyone. He sees a lot of ice and he’s a good passer,” Werthner said. “This will be helpful, especially as a defenceman. If you find somewhere to open up on the ice, he’ll find you.”
McNamee said he is hopeful the two can have success like they did during their stint in Quebec.
“[Werthner] was good and solid defensively, and he pitches in offensively when he can,” McNamee said. “He’s a good puck mover and he’s good on his feet. I’m looking forward to playing with him again.”
Ravens head coach Marty Johnston said his interest in both players stemmed from watching them play together during their year with the Remparts.
“We certainly thought both would add to our hockey club,” Johnston said. “We knew we definitely wanted to jump at both of them and we’re really happy that we did get both.”
An Ottawa native, Werthner said Carleton was a great fit because it is close to home.
“I have lots of friends and family here and I’m already so comfortable playing in Ottawa,” he said.
Werthner spent last season with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League, where Johnston was able to watch him play on a regular basis.
He said Werthner’s skating ability will help him earn ice time with the Ravens.
“We were really impressed with him when he played in the playoffs here. We felt he really elevated his game [in the playoffs],” Johnston said. “At this point we’re really excited about what he can bring to the team in terms of helping us break out the puck.”
He said while the start of the season is still a few months away, he can see Werthner on the team’s top defensive line.
As for the team’s offence, Johnston said McNamee is a huge addition to their attack.
“He’s an elite offensive guy. When we saw him in the Quebec league last year, he was the focal point of his team’s power play and I really see him adding a strong offensive element to our team,” Johnston said.
After his year with Werthner and the Remparts, McNamee was traded to the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the off-season, where he finished his junior hockey career.
“Marty told me I was one of their top recruitment projects and that I’d fit in well with their organization. Things like that make a difference,” McNamee said of his decision to join the Ravens.
Both Werthner and McNamee said they are looking forward to joining the CIS, but both agreed the transition from a season with over 60 games to a 30-game season is going to take some getting used to.
“The hardest part is going to be only playing on weekends, but that just means the games are going to be more intense,” Werthner said.
