If you opened up the program handed out at the Bantam ‘AAA’ branch playdowns here last weekend and scrolled down the Thunder Bay Sportop Kings’ roster, you would have found three district names.
Jordan Davis (Emo), Ryan Faragher (Fort Frances), and Luke Judson (Emo) were hand-picked by the Kings prior to the season and the trio of 14-year-olds have developed into central players for the squad.
The Kings will be hosting the Ontario Bantam ‘AAA’ Championships at the end of the month—and will counting on Davis, Faragher, and Judson when competing against the best teams in the province.
Here are their scouting reports provided by the Kings’ head coach Louis Bailot:
On Davis: “What can I say? He’s got speed to burn, and you can’t teach that. He’s just got it and he’s a natural.
“He’s the kind of guy that needs somebody to get him the puck all the time, and I think he has really come into his own, and hopefully he’ll really show up for us at the provincials.”
On Judson: “He’s come a long way. He plays on the power play and kills penalties, and has a regular shift and has improved immensely.”
On Faragher: “He hasn’t improved a lot as far as his goaltending, but his technique has improved a lot and his mental game has become much better.
“As opposed to playing and reacting, he’s become a student of the game and he is very calm in net.”
Heading into last weekend’s branch playdowns here, Davis was the Kings’ second-leading scorer with 49 points (33 goals and 16 assists) in 57 games.
In his three games here, he racked up a goal and three assists while spending only four minutes in the penalty box.
“I was pretty pumped to play in front of my friends and in front of my home crowd,” said Davis, who made mention of the fact he’s gained 15 pounds since the start of the season.
“I’ve learned how important it is to be in condition because if you’re not in condition, then you’re not going to survive out there,” he remarked.
But it was the play of Judson that really stuck out. Entering the playdowns with 35 points (16 goals and 19 assists) in 57 games, he amassed six goals and two assists in three games here to lead the Kings.
“This was great because a lot of people from Emo came to watch the game and give us their support,” said Judson, who conceded “it was tough” being away from his family at the beginning of the season, but slowly got adjusted and now is happy with the decision.
As for Faragher, he entered the weekend with a 14-15-1 record to go along with a 3.16 goals against average and .900 save percentage in 1,530 minutes of play this season.
He did well here, starting in two of the Kings’ three games and only allowing one goal.
Faragher was on the local Bantam team last year (they lost, like this year, to the Kings), but his performance sparked interest from the Kings’ organization, who asked him to come to a tryout and ended up making the squad.
Bailot said he is able to keep tabs on players from outside Thunder Bay from coaches who go to Fort Frances, Dryden, or Kenora for tournaments, and always gets feedback on a player’s developments.
“We are in the ‘AA’ loop,” he noted.
The Kings is a highly-respected program, which has a gruelling schedule that covers a vast area where they can play a great array of teams.
And while Bailot concedes the program won’t be able to turn players into Wayne Gretzky, he does say players will be better for having been a part of it.
“The program is very dedicated to the hockey player as opposed to the team,” Bailot said. “We only have them for a year [Davis and Faragher will most likely be playing for the Kings’ Minor Midget team unless they find more attractive offers while Judson still has a year left on the Bantam team] and we’re not going to turn them into superstars in that one year, but hopefully we can get them into the next level.
“It’s a tough decision for these boys to be with our team and I really appreciate them coming,” Bailot added.
Judging by the stats of Davis, Faragher, and Judson, and their enthusiastic demeanours when asked how their time with the Kings has been this season, it seems like they also are appreciative of the opportunity.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
