The Surrey Eagles hockey club is pleased to announce that 2000-born defenceman Evan McIntyre has committed to the team for the 2018-19 season. McIntyre has spent the last two years with St. Andrew’s College, one of the most highly-respected preparatory schools based out of Aurora, Ontario.
McIntyre led all defencemen on his team this past season with 51 points in 49 games, as well as an additional 5 points in 4 playoff games.
“[Coming to Surrey] is a dream come true,” said McIntyre in an interview with SurreyEagles.ca “It has been my goal to play in the BCHL since I first learned about the league. I’m really excited to get started and meet my teammates.”
Originally born in Calgary, Alberta, McIntyre grew up in Oakville, Ontario – about 45 minutes south of Toronto. Coming to British Columbia will be a big step in his career, as he looks to earn himself a NCAA scholarship. He was drafted by the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL, but has chosen to play in the BCHL because of the importance he places on getting an education.
“I definitely want to go the school route,” McIntyre explained. “Our coach at St. Andrew’s, David Manning, really stresses academics first then hockey.”
With the Eagles receiving the news that their top-scoring defenceman Owen Norton would be attending Mercyhurst University next season and wouldn’t be returning, bringing in a defenceman with similar puck-moving and skating abilities was a necessity.
“We’re thrilled to bring in Evan,” Eagles GM Blaine Neufeld commented. “He’s a fantastic skater that sees the ice very well. We feel that his game will translate to the BCHL very quickly.”
Neufeld also noted that his confidence in the program at St. Andrew’s was another factor when bringing McIntyre in.
“He comes from a terrific program. His coach David Manning has done a terrific job, which is why St. Andrews is seen as one of the nation’s top programs.”
One of the deciding factors for McIntyre choosing Surrey was that he was able to check out the facility and see the ice surface during a visit this past season. After talking to the players and staff, he knew that the Eagles were the right fit for him.
“I’ve talked to a lot of Eagles players,” said McIntyre. “They all have nothing but great things to say about the rink, the program, the coaching staff. It just seemed like a really good team environment.”
And as for playing on the large, Olympic-sized ice surface at South Surrey Arena? McIntyre expects his skill-set to carry over quite well to his new home rink.
“I like to jump into the play and skate with the puck. My game plan is to move pucks up the ice as quick as I can by using a good first pass out of the zone.”
“They’re expecting me to be a top defenceman on the team, and I’m taking that role very seriously. I have a couple things to improve this offseason, and I’m going to work really hard at it. I want to win a championship. That’s the mindset I have going into next year.”
