into the process of how to get there and he ’ s maturing .”

Kagan was a good Bantam and a terrific member of the Monarchs City Midgets . In 2015-16 , he had 26 goals and 44 points in 35 games with the Monarchs and Omaha seemed like a good option . But when things didn ’ t work out , he was able to return home , sign up at RHA and if things continue on the current path , his dream of playing NCAA Division 1 hockey could come to fruition .

“ I was about four when I started playing Timbits at Tuxedo ,” he recalled . “ I played all my house league hockey at Tuxedo and then I played with the Rangers for a few years , then a year of Hawks Bantam Triple A , then Monarchs then I went to Nebraska and played for the Omaha Lancers . While at Omaha , I just thought that playing here would be a better opportunity . I just thought I could do more with RHA .”

If you ask Smith , there is no doubt that playing Midget Prep with RHA has made Kagan a better player . An already skilled player is slowly but surely becoming a talented all-around player .

“ Josh came in a little late in the year and has a lot of skill ,” said Smith . “ He has very good vision , sees the ice well

and has a good shot . He ’ s a goal scorer . He can find the net . He ’ s really found a way to develop his game this year . He ’ s working hard and he ’ s becoming way better away from the puck and is becoming a more reliable player .

“ Before , he was kind of one dimensional . With the puck he worked hard and he got excited and wanted to score . He was great with the puck . But as soon as he didn ’ t have the puck , it was kind of ‘ Well , what do I do now ?’ But he ’ s learned to be a 200-foot player and he ’ s come a long way with that . Because of that , he ’ s starting to attract some attention to himself .”

Kagan would not disagree . “ I just feel like I ’ ve become a better player here ,” he said . “ I do a lot of things better now . A lot of the little things that I wasn ’ t really good at , I ’ m starting to do better now .”

Kagan ’ s goals are quite clear in his own mind . He

might be only 17 , but knows exactly what he wants to do .

“ I ’ m hoping to play Jr . A somewhere , either in the MJHL or maybe the BCHL ,” he said . “ Right now , my goal is to play college hockey . I want to get noticed more in the States and hopefully I can play at the NCAA level someday .

“ I need to get bigger and stronger and play at a faster pace . The game just gets so much faster as you get older . At the higher levels , I just need to elevate my game and play at a higher pace . But here at RHA I feel I ’ m doing that . I know I ’ m getting better .

A good student , Kagan is in Grade 12 at Shaftesbury Collegiate so he could go off and play junior hockey next season as if he were a professional . However , he has thought about taking some university courses to get a head start on a U . S . College opportunity .

“ Next year , I ’ m going to

see what ’ s in store ,” he said . “ I want to play Jr . A hockey , but if I could also take some university courses , I ’ d certainly try to do that .”

Like so many improving teenaged players , Kagan is now totally committed to his future in the game . And why not ? The game is pretty much his life .

“ My dad Jamie , is the most influential person in my life . While I was growing up , he just loved hockey and he got me involved in the sport and I have two younger brother and he ’ s getting them involved in the game . Hockey is just something my family does . “ When I ’ m not playing hockey , I try to do anything that ’ s hockey related . I go to the outdoor rink to play and I love to watch hockey . I used to play other sports , but the more hockey I played , the busier I got with the game . It ’ s all hockey , hockey , hockey . My whole life is hockey .” ❍