Colin Power is the Saint Mary’s Huskies’ hit man.
Hits along the boards, hits behind the net, hits in open ice — hits just about anywhere, and hits that make an impact. If an opponent has his head down, Power is zeroing in.
“He’s a very feared man in our league,” says Huskies head coach Trevor Stienburg. “He hits to hurt.”
The Mount Pearl, N.L., native will be a key factor for the Huskies when they open the University Cup national men’s hockey championship today in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The Huskies are known for a five-man power-play unit that scores at will, buoyed by national player of the year Marc Rancourt and a bevy of all-Canadian-calibre talent. But a Power-led corps of hard-working role players is the engine that drove Saint Mary’s to an Atlantic University Sport title.
“I’m the kind of guy who’d rather get a huge hit than score the big goal,” admits Power, a graduate of the Ontario Hockey League. “Guys look to me for motivation, for big hits to get them going. That’s the role I’ve always played.”
Hard-hitting defencemen are valuable enough these days, but a forward that does the same is rare. His mere presence can be enough to make a nervous opposing blue-liner commit a turnover after rushing a decision with the puck.
“There have been a lot of guys in this league who have bailed out at the last minute because they know it’s him coming, and I don’t blame them at times,” Stienburg says.
Teammate Brandon Verge describes the five-foot-11, 205-pound Power as “thick,” and Stienburg says he “leverages every bit of his weight” for his hits. It comes as no surprise that Power is a workout fanatic in the off-season.
Between hits, Power found time to score eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 28 games. But what the Huskies are counting on the most is the fear factor he brings.
“He’s an eye-catching momentum-changer,” Stienburg says. “We’ll need him on his game to be successful.”
