The Saint Mary’s Huskies have added yet another Halifax Mooseheads alumnus to their roster.
The Huskies have recruited right-winger Shawn O’Donnell for next season, making him the sixth member of the team to have spent time with the Mooseheads.
Already on the Huskies’ roster are three of O’Donnell’s former teammates — Colby Pridham, Andrew White and Garrett Peters — as well as Justin Munden and Kyle Doucet.
The Cole Harbour native played 31 games for the Mooseheads in 2007-08 before voluntarily leaving to play junior A for the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. He had 28 goals and 33 assists for 61 points in 51 games last season.
“He’s a late-bloomer and he’s going to be a real nice project,” said Huskies head coach Trevor Stienburg. “He’s a big kid and he can do the things it takes (to be successful) in this league, whether it’s right away or whether it takes some time.”
The Huskies have also added forwards Cory Tanaka (Belleville, Ontario Hockey League), and Brad Smith (Summerside, junior A); blueliner Patrick O’Keefe (Montreal, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League); and goalie Neil Conway (Oshawa, OHL).
Tanaka is the most high-profile of the bunch, a defensive-minded centre who had 48 points in 67 games last season and competed at the 2008 Memorial Cup with Belleville.
“He’ll be like a Pridham,” Stienburg said. “He knows how to play the game. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
The Huskies have two notable losses from last season’s Atlantic University Sport-winning squad. All-Canadian defenceman Scott Hotham and hard-hitting forward Colin Power have moved on, as have Jon Howse and Tyler Noye.
