Men’s hockey captain Brett Welychka has wrapped up his third and final year as a member of the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team.
Over the course of his career, Welychka played in 72 regular season games and three playoff games, recording a total of 36 goals and 64 assists. In his first year on the team, Welychka was awarded the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) rookie of the year award when he notched 46 points in that year alone.
Since playing his final game as a Raven, Welychka has joined the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Manitoba Moose.
The Charlatan sat down with Welychka to find out how his final season went and what he plans to do moving forward in his hockey career.
The Charlatan (TC): How did you get started playing hockey?
Brett Welychka (BW): Hockey was pretty popular in my family, my dad’s dad was a Chicago Blackhawks fanatic, my dad and his three brothers were Chicago fans and so, it was kind of something we had been growing up watching, and then while watching, my brother and I were kind of attached to it right away. We wanted to get on skates, and from there it was kind of history. Since then I’ve probably been on the ice for 20 years, so it’s been a big part of my life.
TC: You were captain this year, what was that like to be leading a young group of players?
BW: With my personality, I think I have a leadership role usually wherever I go and I like to showcase that, and my last year in junior I was able to be a captain, so that kind of nursed me for this year, and then, you know, I’ve had captains in the past that have done different things and have shown me different things, and again, we’re all adults in that room, so I don’t have to say too much, but when I do, I had the respect from those guys and I felt they made it easy.
TC: Are there any achievements you’re proud of from your time as a Raven?
BW: Yes, like I said, I had a really good first year, those awards I was able to get, last year winning bronze at Kazakhstan at the World University Games, and then I was fortunate enough to play four games against the World Junior team, so both those years, and then, yeah, I was fortunate enough to be able to do those things, but without my team it would have been tougher.
TC: Do you have any advice you would give to new players joining the team?
BW: I’d say you can’t take it for granted. The guys that are in first year or second year, they have to realize that those are the two years that probably go by the quickest, you know, obviously your last couple of years, but first year, you know, it seems like yesterday that I was in my first classes and, you know, you hear it a lot, don’t take it for granted and cherish the time, but as soon as it actually happens you look back on it and it’s a bit sad.
TC: What are your plans for the future?
BW: Plans for the future, so, I’ve signed with an East Coast hockey team in Toledo, so I’m going to play with them hopefully . . . I might do some commuting from Toledo to Carleton, but if not I might be there for the rest of the year, and then from there on, who knows. I would love to be in the American Hockey League next year, that’s my biggest goal, and then you know, if not I have the summer to think about whether that’s the best fit, or maybe the East Coast for a year or up and down, and if that doesn’t work out, I can go look into some options in Europe, I’ve definitely had some interest from over there and it’s very appealing with the culture and some of the guys that I know that play over there and such a high level of hockey as well.
TC: How do you think your final season went?
BW: I felt like I had a good season. I thought we had a younger team definitely than the first two years that I had. Last year sucked with injuries for myself, with the broken rib I missed six games, and then going to Kazakhstan missing five, so again, last year was kind of a setback with games that I missed and I felt that I brought my game to another level this year. I felt at times there were a couple games that I went that I didn’t play well, but it’s tough to go [a] full season where you play every game the way that you want, and that’s kind of helped me down the road, you know, realize that you can’t hang your head on one game, but again, I thought I had a good season overall, and as a captain, I definitely felt I did a decent job in the locker room and leading on the ice.
Photo by Dan Robertson
