CSSHL Scoring Leader Sean Ramsay Commits To Surrey

The Surrey Eagles are very pleased to announce that forward Sean Ramsay has committed to the team for the upcoming 2019-20 BCHL season. The 2001-born Ramsay led the entire CSSHL in scoring last season with the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy, breaking the single-season points record with 96 in only 35 games.

Ramsay found the back of the net 46 times in his record-breaking 2018-19 season, scoring at a 2.74 point-per-game clip which eclipsed the next closest player by almost half a point per game. He also appeared in four BCHL games last year with the Victoria Grizzlies as an affiliated player down the stretch.

As one of the more highly sought-after BCHL recruits this offseason, Ramsay officially decided to commit to Surrey after taking a visit to the South Surrey Arena facility and meeting with the coaching staff. He toured the White Rock/South Surrey area and met with head coach/associate general manager Cam Keith to confirm his plan to sign with the Eagles.

“Cam was a huge part in me signing with Surrey,” Ramsay explained in a conversation with SurreyEagles.ca. “He just showed me the arena, the nice facility, the big ice surface. You really can’t go wrong playing at that rink. I wanted to move away. I’ve been living in Victoria my whole life, so it will be nice to discover White Rock.”

The Eagles staff is incredibly happy to have Ramsay as part of the team moving forward. Keith sees him as a key piece of the rebuild moving forward, and they expect to him to step in and play a role right away.

“We are extremely excited about the potential for Sean to be an impact player this upcoming season,” Keith said about his latest recruit. “His ability to create offence at the academy level should translate immediately. He can slow the game down or play with pace, and his offensive creativity will be exhilarating for fans to watch on our Olympic ice sheet.”

When talking about his exceptional final season in the CSSHL, Ramsay shies away from drawing attention to himself, and instead prefers to compliment the play of his Pacific Sea Devils teammates. Breaking the single-season scoring record wasn’t a specific goal going into the season, but became a very real possibility as the year went on.

“It just sort of happened,” Ramsay explained. “I was aware that the previous record was held by Holden Kodak with 92 points. I broke the record with an assist in Delta and everyone was really happy for me when I got it.”

Although he prefers to compliment his teammates, Ramsay’s torrid scoring pace put him directly under the spotlight of scouts from the BCHL, NCAA, and even the WHL.

“I was approached by the Everett Silvertips [of the WHL] this past year,” said Ramsay, who made it clear that his desire is to achieve a scholarship to a division I college program. “They wanted me to play in their top six, but I’ve decided to go the college route. My dad has been through it and he tells me about how awesome it was. He says it was the best four years of his life. He’s really helped guide me throughout my path.”

Ramsay’s father, Ian, is a former Nanaimo Clippers player and coach. He spent four years with the University of Denver Pioneers, and coached his son through his minor hockey years. By signing with the Eagles, Sean is now one step closer to matching his father’s career path.

His four-game BCHL stint at the end of the season may not seem important, but Ramsay contends that it allowed him to get an idea of the skill-level of the league. He now understands the speed, and more importantly, the strength required to be a player at the junior A level.

“I’m still trying to put on some weight this summer,” Ramsay said, describing his off-season plan. “The BCHL is definitely a faster and stronger league. I have to work hard this summer. I have to get faster. I’ve been doing some runs at Mount Douglas, sprints. A lot of leg and core work.”

There’s little concern from the team’s staff about Ramsay making the adjustment to the higher level. He’s described as an exceptionally talented offensive threat with elite speed, which should only be helped by the extra time and space on the bigger South Surrey Arena ice surface.

“I’m excited to use my speed a bit more on the larger ice surface. I’ll have more time to handle the puck, with more room and more time to make decisions. It will be pretty cool moving up and seeing what I can do in the BCHL. I’m hoping to make an impact in my first year.”