The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team continued its busy off-season by adding another former major junior player from the Ottawa area, as Kanata native David Weckworth will suit up for the Ravens this fall.
Weckworth joins the Ravens blue line after playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for four years with the Gatineau Olympiques and Saint John Sea Dogs.
Weckworth said he’s excited with the opportunity to return home and play for Carleton, while being close to his friends and family.
“Everything to do with it being my hometown makes it a lot for fun to play in,” he said.
Standing at six-foot-three and 207 pounds, Weckworth brings a big frame to the Ravens’ defensive core that allowed just 67 goals last season—second fewest in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.
“I think I add to that same mentality of bigger players and solid defensive defencemen,” Weckworth said.
He can also provide an offensive presence to accompany his defensive skills, as he delivered 15 points in 64 games for the Sea Dogs in the 2013-14 season.
“I think I can bring another level to the offence also as far as being able to jump into the play . . . and being a good skater, but still maintaining a really good, strong, physical defensive game,” he said.
Ravens head coach Marty Johnston also spoke highly of the qualities that Weckworth brings to the team, both on and off the ice.
“We wanted to get bigger, and we certainly did that with his addition on the back end,” Johnston said.
“He’s a quality kid first and foremost,” Johnston raved. “We were happy with his character, and from there, he’s a big body that skates very well, so we think he’s going to add to the depth of our defence.”
Regarding the transition from the QMJHL to the OUA, Weckworth noted there are both similarities and differences in terms of competition.
He said the largest difference is the age of the players and the length of the season in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).
“It’s definitely a change of pace playing against older and more experienced guys,” Weckworth said. “It’s also a shorter season [in the OUA] so the dynamic of the season is a bit different and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Johnston also noted that the high level of competition in the OUA was a primary reason behind bringing in players with defensive capabilities like Weckworth.
“We know that we’re going to have some really tough games against the top teams in the OUA and we’re going to need to have six very good defencemen playing every night,” Johnston said.
Weckworth stressed that his transition to playing for the Ravens will be eased by his familiarity with the city and with a number of current Ravens players.
He played alongside current Carleton forward Mitch Porowski during his time with the Olympiques, and with fellow Ravens blueliner Jason Seed while playing for the Sea Dogs.
“There’s a lot of different connections and it’ll be a lot of fun to reconnect with guys I’ve played with in the past,” Weckworth said.
Related articles
Men’s hockey adds experience on back end
