Higgins grateful for Titan but excited for Huskies playoff push
From a free agent signing to being named captain.
It doesn’t happen often but Ty Higgins is the latest example.
“Being an invite to being named captain is pretty cool and unique,” he said. “It meant a lot to me.”
Originally from Stratford, ON., Higgins was playing in the GOJHL before he caught the eye of the Titan. He signed with the club Jan. 3, 2022 and played 31 games that season.
In his first full QMJHL season, he led all Titan d-men with 41 points in 2022-23. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, he was named captain, succeeding fellow defencemen Cole Larkin.
“From Ontario, I took a different path than most people,” Higgins said. “They gave me my opportunity to play major junior hockey and I will cherish that for the rest of my life.”
Now, however, Higgins finds himself with a new challenge.
Ahead of the QMJHL trade deadline, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies added the 19-year-old to their blue line as general manager Yannick Gaucher continued to add talent to an already deep roster as they chase their second QMJHL title in six years.
“I’m super excited to join a team of this calibre,” Higgins said. “The skills and players we have, I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
Higgins has skated in four games with the club thus far where he’s been paired alongside Francois-James Buteau. In his second game with the club, he scored first goal as a member of the Huskies in a 5-4 win over Chicoutimi on Jan. 12.
In Rouyn-Noranda, Higgins was the final piece of the puzzle for Gaucher as he joined a roster that already featured Daniil Bourash, Dyllan Gill (TB), Jeremy Langlois (ARI), Andrei Loshko (SEA), William Rousseau, Antonin Verreault and Bill Zonnon among many others.
“It’s been amazing playing with the talent we have,” Higgins said. “They make the game a lot simpler. It makes the game so much easier for myself.”
The Huskies are tied for top spot in the QMJHL’s Western Conference alongside Drummondville with 28 wins and 61 points and are 10-1-1 over their last 12 games. Their playoff spot is all but secured but that doesn’t mean they’ve become complacent.
“We take it game-by-game and don’t get ahead of ourselves,” Higgins said. “We have to keep working towards the playoffs and our end goal.”
Thursday’s CHL Game of the Week contest between Baie-Comeau and Rouyn-Noranda is available to watch for FREE on CHLTV and rds.ca at 7:00pm ET.