Surrey, BC – The Surrey Eagles are proud to announce that forward Holden Cardinal has committed to the team for the 2020-21 season. The 16 year old forward from Surrey, BC will look to be an offensive driver next season, and is the 2nd new player to commit to the team for next season, following defenseman Matt Connor who committed earlier this year.
This season, Holden has been playing for the Delta Hockey Academy Wild of the CSSHL, and has 11 goals and 17 points in 18 games this season. Cardinal has also appeared in 3 games for the Eagles as an affiliated player, going scoreless in the contests, but showing the speed and skill which made him such an intriguing prospect. Last year as a 15 year old, Cardinal had 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 31 games playing with the Delta Hockey Academy’s U15 elite squad.
It was all smiles for Holden when he signed the paperwork for next season, admitting “I’m excited! Next season, [I’ll] come here and play, looking forward to it.” Cardinal expects to be “…hard working, fun to watch and a lot of energy in the game.”
However, in saying all that Holden understands it won’t be easy to adjust to the BCHL. Holden admits he’ll need to adjust to certain aspects of the game. “Definitely the pace, the physicality. It’s going to be a lot different from midget hockey. It’ll be a bit of a jump but I’ll be able to adjust to it.” Finally, Holden admits there’s a lot of excitement being able to play for his hometown team. “Very exciting. All my friends and family live close, and will be able to support me.”
Cam Keith was also very excited about landing the young Surrey native, explaining “Yea, [Holden] was a kid that probably could’ve made our team this year, but we thought it was better for him to play with Delta, play those big minutes in a big role. He’s a kid who’ll flourish on the olympic ice, extremely offensive, and he’s a kid who we’re expecting to jump in right away and make an impact.” Cam’s quick scouting report for Eagles fans describes Holden as “High pace, he’s a playmaker but he knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. For his lack of size (5’6, 132lb), you wouldn’t know it because he goes to the hard areas. A kid who doesn’t mind when the physicality gets going, he doesn’t shy away from it. If you want to compare him to a NHL player, he’s got a Johnny Gaudreau feel to him.”
Welcome to the flock Holden!
