Three years ago, the Canmore Eagles challenged the community to show the AJHL that it is indeed a hockey town capable of supporting and producing junior hockey talent.
In a testament to the local hockey system, the Eagles now have seven local players in the lineup, including, a Canmore native as captain.
For the first time in the team’s 19-year history, a Canmorite is captain of the Eagles. Nils Moser was given the “C” by his teammates and fellow Canmorites Luke Simpson and John Stevens were both named alternates. Defenceman Trey Phillips was also given an alternate captain title.
He led the team to a 2-1 record in its first three games of the season. “It feels great. It’s almost overwhelming. The boys really look up to me, I feel. With the leadership group we have, we have a lot of experience. We can pave a path for the young guys and show them how to be a winning team,” Moser said.
The big 20-year-old centre plays a physical brand of hockey, which has taken its toll on his body throughout his junior career. Plagued by injury, Moser saw limited action in three seasons in the WHL before joining the Eagles in 2012. Again, injuries forced him out of all but 29 games last year, where he scored 19 points and put up 79 penalty minutes. In order to succeed, the team needs him to stay healthy, score goals and lead by example.
“I’m gonna help as much offensively and defensively as I can,” Moser said.
As the only Eagle with WHL experience, Moser immediately earns a lot of respect in the dressing room, something that isn’t lost on his coach.
“He’s a calming effect for the guys. He’s a great leader – the kind of guy that relaxes everyone,” said head coach Andrew Milne.
Moser’s added more speed to his game this year, increasing his cardio and dropping 25 pounds, which he hopes will keep him playing all season long.
“I’ve had some troubles with injuries in the past, but this year I worked on cardio and hit the bike,” Moser said.
His biggest challenge this year will be convincing the team they can win. It’s something he’s confident they can achieve this year given the talent on the roster.
“Playing as a team and understanding your role will win games for us. If everyone lays it on the line, we have enough depth on defence, we have enough offence, we can win this year,” Moser said.
