17吃瓜

After AUS all-star Kameron Kielly decided to go pro in 2020鈥�21, the 17吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Hockey Panthers lost firepower. But Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson is hoping his latest recruit can help fill that void.

Enter Kaleb Pearson, a 21-year-old right winger with a knack for putting the puck in the back of net.

鈥淚 think my greatest strength as a hockey player would be my offensive ability and awareness,鈥� Pearson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a guy who wants to win. I can help by making plays and scoring goals and I hope to be part of the team that brings a championship back home to PEI.鈥�

Pearson joins the Panthers after two impressive seasons with the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Owen Sound Attack where he was a focal point in the team鈥檚 offence, often finishing off plays.

In 128 OHL games, the Saint Marys, Ontario native put up 42 goals and 38 assists. His second season saw a spike in his points per game average as he improved from 0.42 to 0.84, proving he can adjust to a league quickly, which bodes well for a Panthers team in need of more offensive production.

鈥淚 think the biggest thing for me is my confidence level,鈥� he said. 鈥淛oining a new league is always tough but being put into new situations forces me to adjust and figure out new ways to get things done.鈥�

Throughout the recruitment process, Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson saw a lot of potential in Pearson and now considers him to be a vital piece to the team moving forward.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a typical power forward that is very hard to play against and has high-end finish around the net,鈥� MacPherson said. 鈥淲e project Kaleb to score many goals in this league.鈥�

While he is expected to come in and score goals, it wouldn鈥檛 be fair to ask him to lead the team in scoring. The success of this team will ultimately hinge on balance and production throughout the lines. With the additions of Pearson and last year鈥檚 recruits Brodie MacArthur, Carson MacKinnon, and Jaden Peca, the Panthers are becoming a much deeper team at forward.

鈥淲e won鈥檛 be relying on just a couple of players. This will be production by committee. It will be up to everyone to prepare and push for their role and responsibility.鈥�

Still, Pearson鈥檚 skillset projects him to be a top-six forward as early as this year, which is an exciting possibility to ponder, and an opportunity Pearson isn鈥檛 taking lightly.

鈥淩ight away I鈥檓 going to compete and battle. I don鈥檛 expect anything to be given to me and I鈥檓 going to work for everything I get,鈥� Pearson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to do the little things right away鈥攕topping on pucks, finishing checks, and capitalizing on my offensive opportunities.鈥�

After capturing just 10 wins in 2019鈥�20, MacPherson has been hard at work trying to build a roster that can rise in the standings, and his passion for winning was a big reason why Pearson was drawn to 17吃瓜.

鈥淥nce I spoke with Coach MacPherson it was an easy decision for me. He鈥檚 a guy who wants to win and that鈥檚 the biggest thing I want in a coach.鈥�