Speedy forward Grayson Constable, captain of the Bonnyville Pontiacts of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has committed to Holy Cross for the 2019-2020 season. Neutral Zone scouts have noted that he brings a strength and toughness to the ice and has impressive awareness and hockey IQ.
Grayson grew up with the local rink only a block and a half away from his house. “My dad use to play hockey, when I saw him on skates I obviously wanted to be doing the same thing. I really had everything at my fingertips, I was quite blessed with growing up in the Constable household. Being able to play hockey at such a young age, it was all there for me and I lived in a community where hockey was a big deal.”
Grayson played minor hockey in his home town of Lethbridge, AB. At 18 years old he decided to play in BCHL instead of going the AJHL route. “I got picked up by Salmon Arm, went out there my first year and the team struggled a bit, as [we] went through a coaching change. Bit of a different feel for me going form Minor hockey to Junior. And then having to deal with that coaching change was something I’ve never been through, that is when I found out that [hockey] was a business.” Things turned around for Grayson the next season, “Came back for my second year and had a new coaching staff again. Met with [the new coach, Scott Atkinson] once in the summer and we clicked really well. We had a young team coming up in Salmon Arm and he thought I would be best fit to lead that team on and off the ice. A bit unexpected. . . but I was very appreciative, I learned a lot as a 19 year old captain. I ended up getting traded to Bonnyville. Talked with Rick Swan [the head coach], he just had me sold with the culture and everything Bonnyville represents as an organization. Met Rick and people around the rink and it just felt like home. My billet family is great, I couldn’t ask for anything more. “
Grayson is once again the captain for his current team, the Bonnyville Pontiacs. We asked him about the challenges he has faced being a leader on multiple teams, “So being a younger captain in Salmon Arm, I had to face things that I hadn’t tested before. Trying to be a leader on and off the ice, I’m helping out older guys, 21 years old when I’m 19. So that was a bit different for me, I had never been in that situation. I learned a lot from it, I guess you could say it helped me grow up. I think I can bring a bit of a veteran status, I know how to handle different situations and when to step in and when not to step in.”
Talking about his recruiting process, “I met the Assistant coach, Tom Hill, for Holy Cross during the AHL Showcase in Camrose. We had a quick chat about the weekend, and how things went with the team and for myself. After that he told me they would continue watching and about a week and half later I got a call from Peter Roundy, the other assistant coach from Holy Cross. He asked for transcripts and SAT scores and that’s when things started to get a bit more serious. They contacted my head coach here, Rick Swan, and talk to him about what I got going on and how they see me fitting into their game plan.”
Grayson and his family did their own research as well, “I am family friends with a former player and former coach at Holy Cross. We chatted about the program, got a feel for everything education wise. That’s the kinda stuff a family goes through, doing their own research and finding out what the program offers, and how may spots they have available next year. It played in really well with what we want education wise, as well as, playing wise.”
We asked Grayson about what drew him to the school, “Holy Cross is a private school, which means the attendance is a little less number of students, I think it’s around 3,000. So the class sizes are a bit smaller, that means a bit more 1 on 1 time with the teachers. Instead of sitting in an auditorium with 300 kids, it’s more of a classroom with 20 kids. So that was big, the extra time you get with your teachers. It’s a liberal arts program, so I haven’t quite decided what path I want to go. So that liberal arts program gives me a bit of an advantage to reach out and try some different subjects, just get a feel for everything. Playing wise, they just told me what they had leaving and what they think they needed to come in and fill those spots. Really the only thing on my radar from the get go was Holy Cross. Had some interest around the NCAA but Holy Cross recruited the best, and had the best offer, and the best program.”
So far, Grayson has 20 points in 20 games for the Bonnyville Pontiacs with 8 goals and 12 assists and his team sits second in the North Division with 17 wins in 23 games.
