Although it’s been a bumpy start for the Banff Hockey Academy Bears, it’s been smooth sailing for star centre Ryan Barrow.
Every puck Barrow touched seemed to end up in the net in September, as he picked up five goals and five assists in the team’s first three games, earning him the Heritage Junior Hockey League player of the month award. As the offensive engine for the Bears, Barrow picked up points on 10 of the 12 goals Banff scored early this season.
“Ryan is in great shape. Certainly with his hockey IQ, it’s giving him a strong advantage early in the season,” said Bill Doherty, president and coach of the BHA.
The 17-year-old is still growing, and now has 16 points in Banff’s first five games of the season. He’s found chemistry with Blaise Arkle, who is on a point per game pace.
“Ryan is a player who sees the ice extremely well. His speed is deceptive – it looks like he gets trapped, but he can skate out of it. He uses his players on the ice extremely well and he’s very accurate with his plays,” Doherty said.
Early success has meant adversity for Barrow, however, as other teams are keying on him early, due to stats that are hard to miss. He leads the league in scoring by four points ahead of Coaldale’s Colby Murray.
“Ryan has always been a guy who puts up points. Having the start he’s had has been a nice surprise,” said Doherty. “Teams are watching for him. He’s consistently getting extra attention.”
While Barrow’s offensive production has been impressive, the team will need to play a more complete game if they’re to improve upon their 1-4 record. The team earned its first win of the season Friday (Oct. 3) in Banff against Cochrane, but dropped a 6-2 loss to Coaldale on Sunday. Barrow and most of the Bears are teenagers playing in a league full of 20 year old men.
“We’re young, but we’re quite skilled. We’re a quick team. Now it’s about understanding what those assets can bring and how to use them to our advantage,” said Doherty.
“We’ve been right there in games, but there have been a couple of mistakes that have cost us. Typically, our history shows we get progressively better as the season goes on as we learn to handle the size of the league. Right now we’re a really strong, crisp, puck-moving team and I’m excited about our prospects, but there are hurdles, like the age difference and the intimidation that comes from that.”
The Bears have a showcase weekend coming up at Fenlands Arena, as the prep and varsity team have three games each, while the women’s team has one game. Barrow and the prep team hit the ice on Friday (Oct. 10) at 8 p.m. against Strathmore, Saturday against Airdrie at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. against Stettler.
