Game On Magazine 2017 February 2017 | Page 17

team when he took over this fall . At first , he couldn ’ t imagine a player as small as Brayden Foreman making it through a season alive .
“ This is my first year with this age group so when I started and I didn ’ t know any of them from a hole in the ground ,” Corbett said . “ I didn ’ t follow them , didn ’ t know them and when their former coach took a new position two weeks before the season started , I took over this team with no knowledge of the players at all .
“ The first thing that jumped out to me with Brady was his size . My initial reaction was probably the same reaction that every coach
has when Brady steps out onto the ice : ‘ This kid ’ s not very big .’ I wondered if he could handle the jump from Bantam to Midget . Well , five or six minutes into the first skate , I knew that wasn ’ t going to be an issue . The kid plays with so much heart and so much grit .
“ Whether his size is going to catch up with him or not someday , it ’ s not a factor now . He ’ s got everything you look for in a kid . Never mind a hockey player . He ’ s a good hockey player , but he ’ s a great person .”
His dad marvels at how Brady plays so hard and so well despite the fact he ’ s always the smallest player on the ice .
“ I think he has incredible vision ,” said Brian , who still plays the game himself , a couple of times a week . “ He works very hard . He ’ s a little on the small side , but what that ’ s enabled him to do is learn to
battle a bit more . If the size does come , it will be an advantage for him . The biggest thing about him is that he just loves to play . He has a huge passion for the game . He loves being around his friends on the team and he has a great time playing the game .”
This love for the game has certainly not gone unnoticed . Coach Corbett sees it at every practice and in every game .
“ All the little things you try to teach your guys to do , Brady does them before he ’ s told ,” Corbett said . “ From a leadership role , he ’ s one of our assistant captains and that was evident two skates into the first week of practice . The boys respond to him . He says all the right things and does all the right things . He ’ s a low-maintenance player and he ’ s a sponge . You ask him to do something , you only have to ask him once . He might not like it , he might not agree with it , but he never complains and he gets the job done . He ’ ll do whatever he ’ s asked and he ’ ll do it the best he can . When you add in the skating ability – he can skate like the wind -- and skill he does have , you have one heck of a hockey player .”
Brady understands very clearly that size will always be his enemy . However , he ’ s learned to temper his goals . He ’ s taking the game one day and one shift at a time .
“ I want to keep playing hockey my whole life ,” he said . “ No matter what level , I want to play the game for as long as I can . I don ’ t have a goal of what league I want to get to , I just want to keep playing .
“ I ’ ll try out for the ( Triple A Provincial Midget ) Wild next season , but if I don ’ t make it , I ’ ll make a decision about playing another year here ( with the City Monarchs ) or playing high school with Shaftesbury .
“ I ’ d eventually like to play for the Blues and then go play NCAA after that . I don ’ t have a preference . Whatever school would want me .”
As for his own assessment , Foreman calls himself , “ a team player .” Perhaps it has something to do with how his teammates helped him through the dark days or maybe it ’ s just his character , but no one would argue that Brayden Foreman is all about “ team first .”
“ Yeah , I ’ d say I play a team game ,” he said . “ I like to make plays and pass the puck . I ’ m not as much of a goal scorer as I am a passer . I like to set my teammates up to have success . And I think we have a very good team . I enjoy the success we ’ re having . It ’ s nice to show up at the rink every night and know we have a chance to win .
“ It ’ s fun . It ’ s hockey . And it will always be important to me . I love it .” n
2016 - 17 ROSTER DEADLINE EDITION GAME ON 17