The door was open and he smashed right through it.
Okotokian Matt Forchuk has jumped on the opening for the coveted top-line centre role with the Canmore Eagles and is turning in a sophomore season to remember as the third most productive player in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
“Opportunity is a huge key,” said Forchuk. “With Connor Wilson leaving a spot opened up on the first line and someone had to fill in. I had the opportunity to take a huge jump and I took the opportunity and made the most of it so far.”
And then some.
Forchuk’s 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists) in 17 games is third in the province and well-ahead of the pace he set as a freshman Eagle with 32 points in 2014-15.
“I’ve proved to myself that I can be one of the top scorers in the league,” he added. “It’s a good feeling, but it’s only (a few) games in. I’ve got to keep it going.”
The 18-year-old credited off-season preparation for his in-season form.
Time was well spent during the summer months at Crash Conditioning and Stix Hockey Academy working on quickness and net awareness.
“Working on my shot and going off the wall and shooting,” he said. “I’m trying to shoot more, but playmaking is still one of my strengths and I’ve got two linemates that can really score.”
Flanked by Taber’s Lane Olson and Calgary’s Logan Ferguson since the AJHL Showcase, the Eagles trio have been among the most prolific lines in the provincial loop with all three sitting in the top-26 in scoring.
“We’re all smart hockey players and know where each other is going to be, real quick and our cycle game is really strong,” Forchuk said. “We can all make plays at a fast-pace.”
The former Foothills Composite student has been the picture of consistency. Forchuk’s name is on the score-sheet in 14 of 17 games and he’s yet to extend a pointless streak past one game.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The Okotokian took home AJHL player of the week honours from Oct. 6-13 with 8 points in three games.
The success is mirrored by the upstart Eagles. Prior to dropping a pair of challenging back-to-back road dates to Bonnyville and Lloydminster in mid-October, Canmore sat second in the South Division behind the Okotoks Oilers and ahead of pre-season favourites Camrose and Brooks. The Eagles now sit comfortably in fourth with 19 points.
“We have guys who came in and want to play and they pushed us older guys to step up and do the best we can every night,” Forchuk said. “We’re a smaller team, we’re young, but sometimes going into games that’s good because they don’t realize what they’re getting into. They just go as hard as they can.
“We know we can be a good team and play with anyone in the league.”
Canmore’s rivalry with the Oilers has been simmering for years and ramped up a notch after last year’s opening round playoff series. The Oilers swept the five-game set in three games, though each result was of the one-goal variety.
The trend continued into the 2015-16 season where the teams have split two dates in Canmore with both tilts decided in a shootout.
“We seemed to have a rivalry last year and it’s carried over,” Forchuk said.
“They’re a good team, we’re both fast, strong and have some younger guys.”
The Eagles make the trek to Okotoks for the first time this season for a ghoulish affair on Halloween (7 p.m. puck-drop at Pason Centennial Arena).
For the latest on Forchuk and the Eagles visit canmoreeagles.ca
