Adamu Tanaka is the kind of hockey player the Canmore Eagles love to hear about.
Homegrown, talented and inspired by the club, Tanaka is exactly the type of player the organization wants to give a chance to play in the Bow Valley.
Now, the 17-year-old Tanaka has signed his first contract with the team and will be on the roster on opening day for the 2015-16 season.
“This started since I was a kid growing up and the Eagles play in my hometown. Basically, it’s always been a dream,” Tanaka said.
Tanaka spent last season with the Calgary Buffaloes Midget AAA team, where he scored four goals and had 12 assists in 30 games. The team made it to the league finals, but lost to the Calgary Bisons. He had two points in four games as an emergency callup for the Eagles last season. At 5 foot 10, 170 pounds, he wants to add some muscle and agility before the season starts.
“The AJHL is going to be very fast. I definitely have to adjust to that. Other than that, I should be OK this year,” Tanaka said.
Intelligence and offence are his main assets, and while he’ll fight for playing time, Tanaka is driven in his quest to improve. Ultimately, he’d like to earn an NCAA scholarship after his AJHL career.
“I definitely have to get better in all parts of the game: skating, puck handling, quicker passes. I want to develop each day, each year to achieve my goals,” Tanaka said.
One thing the Eagles are excited about is Tanaka was a big fan of 2014 league MVP Trey Phillips. If he can become anywhere close to being that kind of player, the Eagles will be thrilled.
“When I watched him, he was always dynamic. He could see the open ice and had good vision. I like how he played,” Tanaka said.
“We are excited to have Adamu join our club as a 17 year old,” said Eagles head coach and general manager Andrew Milne. “We called Adamu up for four AJHL games last season and he played very well, picking up two assists in the process. He sees the ice very well, is a strong skater and does a good job of making the first pass out of the defensive zone.”
Through his career, Tanaka has worked very hard to get to this point, but said none of it would be possible without the support of his family.
“I definitely have to thank my parents for their hard work. Their support is phenomenal. They are a big part of my life.”
