Look no further for a hometown hockey hero than Princeton害羞草研究所檚 Curtis Gould.
Gould is the assistant captain of the Posse, helping to lead the team through its best season ever, riding at the top of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) standings for most of the year.
害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 one of the strongest, most consistent defenceman in our league,害羞草研究所� said head coach Mark Readman of the 5-foot-10, 180 lb., 19-year-old.
害羞草研究所淗e carries a lot of weight on his shoulders. He carries a lot of pressure, but he carries it well,害羞草研究所�
Gould laced his first pair of skates at the Princeton and District Arena about the same time most kids begin Kindergarten.
害羞草研究所淎s soon as I started, I just fell in love with the game,害羞草研究所� he told the Spotlight. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e done it pretty much every day since I remember.害羞草研究所�
He害羞草研究所檚 spent most of his hockey career so far in Princeton, save for a one-year stint in Kelowna when he was 15, where he played for an elite minor midget team which won its league害羞草研究所檚 championship.
As the Posse害羞草研究所檚 only local player 害羞草研究所� with the rest coming from around B.C., Saskatchewan and Alberta 害羞草研究所� Gould害羞草研究所檚 highlight reel is less about shots and blocks than it is about community involvement and support.
害羞草研究所淎ll our home games have just been phenomenal, just having such a nice crowd that supports us and we害羞草研究所檝e been trying our best to give back.害羞草研究所�
Especially, he recalls with satisfaction a successful Meals on Wheels weekend that raised more than $3,500 for the program, and another fundraising game that raised money for a Princeton woman awaiting a double-lung transplant. 害羞草研究所淭hat was probably my highlight because it was such a motivated night for our whole team and for me personally.害羞草研究所�
Junior B hockey in Princeton is a full-time job, according to Gould, who is in his third year in the program, although he manages to keep up with his business courses at Thompson Rivers University.
The team meets every morning at 10 a.m. and practices every day usually around noon. Sometimes, he admitted, the players get Sunday off.
Game days always begin for Gould at Billy害羞草研究所檚 Restaurant for breakfast with teammates, where he invariably orders a club sandwich and is not embarrassed to say: 害羞草研究所淵eah, that害羞草研究所檚 superstition.害羞草研究所�
While Princeton fans and hockey followers across B.C. have expressed surprise at the team害羞草研究所檚 meteoric success in 2022-23 害羞草研究所� 26 wins and five losses, with three overtime losses and three shootout losses; good enough to hold first over 18 other franchises 害羞草研究所� it hasn害羞草研究所檛 shocked the players.
害羞草研究所淲e have a good squad, and we knew it from day one of camp害羞草研究所e knew what we were capable of and we knew what we could accomplish,害羞草研究所� Gould said.
He credits much of Princeton害羞草研究所檚 success to leadership in the form of Readman, who joined the Posse last season, general manager Mark McNaughton and assistant coach Liam Noble.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think there is a secret sauce. I think it害羞草研究所檚 just the way Mark (Readman) knows how to keep us motivated and keep us going and he really holds us accountable for how we play. He wants us to work as hard as we can, working to the best of our ability.害羞草研究所�
As the clock ticks down on the regular season, it害羞草研究所檚 hard to keep thoughts away from the playoffs and the genuine chance one of the smallest markets in the KIJHL can field a roster to challenge for the Teck Cup.
害羞草研究所淎s a group, we all want to go all the way. That害羞草研究所檚 kind of been our goal right from the start of this year,害羞草研究所� Gould said.
害羞草研究所淲e are going to have to basically take it one round at a time.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know if we have any fears, though.
害羞草研究所淲e are not afraid of anything, and we know what we have and what we can do.害羞草研究所�
Win or lose, Gould maintains the finest parts of any game are the relationships that are formed along the way. 害羞草研究所�(Teammates) eventually turn into brothers and lifelong friends.害羞草研究所�
Readman gets a strong sense of that, from his go-to defensive stronghold.
害羞草研究所淐urtis does things the right way. He cares and he害羞草研究所檚 passionate.
害羞草研究所淗e wants to see the team succeed, not only just himself.害羞草研究所�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com
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