Manor native Kruise Reddick's hockey career continues to go from strength to strength, as the 24-year-old University of Alberta Golden Bears' team captain and forward scored the winning goal to capture the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's (CIS) University Cup in Halifax, March 12-15, as well as earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player and All-Star titles.
The U of A squad won their second consecutive CIS men's hockey championship in host city Halifax with a 6-3 win over the University of New Brunswick's Varsity Reds. Reddick scored the game-winning goal in the third period, and was named the University Cup's Most Valuable Player after scoring three goals and earning an assist in four games. He also was named to the championship's All-Star team.
“I've been asked how I feel right now a lot,” says Reddick. “To be honest, I still can't put it into words, but I will say it's one of the best feelings in the world.”
The CIS title was the 15th for the Alberta Golden Bears, and was a back-to-back win for Reddick and some of his teammates as the U of A squad also won the CIS national title in 2014.
“This year, it's a completely different team and people,” says Reddick. “Last year, I was injured, and this year, I was lucky enough to stay healthy the entire year, so those were two completely different feelings for me as a player going into this competition.”
Reddick says that “the entire team” were also aware of upholding the Golden Bears' winning tradition.
“We definitely feel a responsibility to uphold the U of A tradition,” says Reddick. “There's an amazing alumni group. We know what they've achieved in the past and we feel a responsibility to keep that tradition going.”
“When we returned to the university from Halifax, everyone was so welcoming,” he adds. “We're so grateful for what everyone at the school-including the fans-does for us.”
Reddick's drive and determination were evident when he beat the odds and recovered from a potentially career-ending foot injury, returning to compete in the 2014 University Cup tournament, where he led the Golden Bears to a championship win, and also earning a spot on the All-Star team.
Dubbed “The Comeback Captain”, Reddick's foot injury was deemed to be so serious that he was presumed-at best- to be out for the remainder of the 2014 season, including the playoffs. With only seven weeks to get a clean bill of health, he worked hard to recover, and returned to lead his team to victory at the 2014 CIS University Cup.
Commenting on the final game that clinched the 2015 CIS championship, Reddick says,“This was our sloppiest win of the year. UNB (University of New Brunswick) were a great team. We took nine shots, and finally some goals. (The final game) definitely wasn't indicative of the score.”
“We knew we had a chance going in, but you never want to jinx it. UNB were a great team, and we knew both teams had a chance to win the final. We didn't want to over-think it, but we knew we had a chance.”
Since his injury and subsequent recovery, Reddick says his mindset reflected the two very different CIS championships he helped lead to victory.
“Going in right after the injury definitely was a different feeling (for me) than going in to play after a year with no injuries. I just feel so, so blessed to have a second chance and to be able to pursue all of the opportunities that hockey has brought me.”
This year, Reddick had the honour of captaining Team Canada as he led the country's top university players to the podium at the 2015 Winter Universiade (University Games), Feb. 3-14 in Granada, Spain, where they competed against teams made up of elite college athletes from around the world.
The Canadians earned bronze medals, and Reddick says, “I'm so grateful. I came back with a lot of good memories and a bronze medal, representing Canada.”
The fourth-year BARST (Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport and Tourism) student says his next goal is to go pro. “I'm going to do a fifth year at school, so I can play another year, but yes, playing as a professional is still my goal.”
“When I was 18, I attended a Chicago Black Hawks-Tampa Bay Lightning camp,” says Reddick. “I also played for five years, starting when I was 16, for the WHL's Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Washington.”
At the end of his five years with the Western Hockey League team, Reddick had cemented his reputation as “A standout player and a standout citizen,” according to the local press.
When asked about the accolade, Reddick credits his hometown, Manor.
“It all goes back to the small town values I grew up with,” he says. “I'm just so, so proud of where I grew up, my family, and the people I grew up with.”
“I have to say that there are just to many people to thank and mention. Along with my family and people from Manor, I've met so many great people who I've met in the game, wherever I've played along the way. I've just been really lucky that way.”
Although his hometown didn't have a local hockey team, Reddick says, “I skated countless hours in town. Then I played minor hockey in Carlyle, before I went to Yorkton to play when I was 15.”
This summer, Reddick will return home to take a break, to resume training, and to enjoy a Saskatchewan summer with family and friends.
“We'll get about a month or three weeks off from training,” he says. “Then our (team) trainer will send us all a program, and we'll start training again for next season.”
“I'll come back home and I'm looking forward to it.”
Follow Kruise Reddick on Twitter @KReddick11.
