Nanook hockey adds three more forwards
May 8, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Alaska Nanooks head coach Dallas Ferguson announced the addition of three more forwards as Josh Erickson (Roseau, Minn.), Brandon Morley (Burnaby, B.C.) and Joey Davies (Demorestville, Ont.) have all signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Blue and Gold.
"With the addition of Joey, Brandon, and Josh we have added players that fit the mold we want for our forwards: speed, competiveness and hockey IQ,” Ferguson said. “All three are strong leaders and I look forward to being apart of their development as Nanooks"
The trio will enroll this fall at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where they each plan to major in business, with four years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
Joey Davies
Davies is a 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward and Ontario native. He played two seasons for the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
"Joe is a two-way player who competes hard every night,” said Humboldt head coach Dean Brockman. “As an individual, Joe has been a leader on and off the ice. His ability to raise his game to another level earned him the respect of his teammates and the Humboldt Broncos congratulate Joe on his accomplishments as a Bronco and wish him the best of luck in the future."
This year (2012-13), his 27 goals and 56 points through 53 regular season games ranked fourth for SJHL scoring. He led the SJHL in playoff scoring with 13-4—17 in 16 games, despite the Broncos title run coming up short in the league championships. Davies was twice as potent as his rookie season in 2011-12, when he tallied 10-19—29 in 54 regular season games and 3-5—8 in 16 postseason contests.
His season-long efforts were applauded as he garnered he Dr. Gerry Rooney Award, given to the Broncos' playoff most valuable player, the Colony Motors Award as top scorer and the 107.5 Bolt FM 3 Star Award for performance in road games.
"Joey is a competitive player that was a tremendous leader for Humboldt this season,” said Ferguson. "He showed tremendous improvement from his rookie season to this year and I really like his love for hockey and his team first approach. He is comfortable playing in all situations and brings tremendous character to our program."
Davies follows in the footsteps of several former Nanooks who hailed from the SJHL, including 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Jordan Hendry, Academic All-American Trevor Hyatt, Ryan Lang and Cory Rask.
Brandon Morley
An elite prospect, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward and younger brother of Alaska freshman Tyler Morley, comes to the Nanooks from the Coquitlam Express and the British Columbia Hockey League.
His junior hockey highlights include playing for Team Canada at the World Junior A Challenge in 2012 and 2013 and winning gold and silver medals, respectively.
"Brandon played key roles in the gold and silver medals he won with Canada West in the World Junior A Championship,” said Ferguson. “This experience on the big stage will be valuable to our program as we strive to win our own championship."
He finished his junior hockey career with 32 goals and 66 assists in 142 games. This season, he split time playing for the Surrey Eagles and the Express, scoring seven goals and 22 points in 36 games. He had 14-33-47 in 49 games during the 2011-12 campaign, which included four power-play and four game-winning goals and two scored short-handed. As a rookie in 2010-11 he registered 11 goals and 18 assists good for 29 points in 57 games.
“Brandon has tremendous speed, hockey IQ, and he plays the game the right way,” Ferguson added. “I like how he plays in all three zones and finds a way to impact every shift. We are excited to add Brandon's speed and tenaciousness to our program and feel he fits our style of play perfectly.”
Morley joins a Nanooks squad that rostered six BCHL alumni this season, including his brother Tyler (Surrey), senior Chad Gehon (Kelowna, B.C./Westside), juniors Colton Beck (Langley, B.C./Langley) and Michael Quinn (Surrey, B.C./Westside), sophomore Garrick Perry (Apple Valley, Minn./Coquitlam) and freshman Richard Coyne (Cave Creek, Ariz./Langley).
Josh Erickson
A 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward and Roseau, Minn. native, Erickson will bring leadership and competitive spirit to the Alaska Hockey program.
Erickson served as team captain in his second season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League this year. In 89 career junior hockey games, he amassed 10 goals and 10 assists and 236 penalty minutes.
"Josh has been a phenomenal captain, leading this young group the right way on and off the ice," said Sioux City head coach Brett Larson. "He has a lot of heart and a lot of energy. He is the kind of player and person that every team needs to be successful."
“Josh is a very competitive player that makes life hard on opposing teams,” said Ferguson. “I love the fact that he does the hard things that help your team be successful, such as finishing hits and blocking shots, and taking hits to makes plays. His team first mentality and character will provide strong leadership for our program."
Erickson comes to the Nanooks, who had six USHL alumni on the roster this season; seniors Steve Thompson (Sioux City/Omaha) and Andy Taranto (Fargo Force), sophomore Nolan Youngmun (Sioux Falls Stampede), and freshmen J.D. Peterson (Tri-City/Des Moines), John Keeney (Muskegon/Omaha), and Matt Friese (Lincoln/Chicago/Tri-City).
Davies, Morley and Erickson join BCHL forwards Marcus Basara (Port Moody, B.C.) and Shawn Hochhausen (Kelowna, B.C.) in Alaska's recruiting class of 2017. The group will represent the Nanooks' first four-year class in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Nanooks will play their first season in the WCHA beginning this fall. Alaska's new conference opponents include Alabama Huntsville, Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and Northern Michigan.