Crunch time for Keaston
A character kid with a work ethic to match, rookie defenseman Keaston (Sticks) Blais has been acquired by the Cochrane Crunch from the Hearst Lumberjacks in an exchange between the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cohorts, Hockey News North has confirmed.
An ever-improving, hard-working, right-hand shooting defender with a late October, 2002 birth date, Blais spent the past two seasons with the Timmins Majors of the Great North Under 18 AAA Hockey League.
A good kid and good student of the game who hails from the northeastern Ontario town of Iroquois Falls, Blais greatly advanced his game over two seasons with the Timmins U-18 squad under the watchful eye of no-nonsense Majors coach Brandon Perry.
After getting cut by Timmins three years ago, Blais made the Majors in 2018-2019 and contributed two assists in 34 games.
He then enhanced his overall game in Timmins in 2019-2020 and boosted his totals to three goals, 14 assists, 17 points in 37 games for the Majors.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Blais heads to Cochrane after spending the pre-season in Hearst and suiting up for the Lumberjacks in a recent NOJHL exhibition game against the Crunch.
