OHL quartet commits to Saint Mary’s
HALIFAX, NS – Saint Mary’s men’s hockey head coach Tyler Naugler is pleased to announce the commitment of four new recruits – defenceman Ben Roger, and forwards Declan McDonnell, Jake Uberti, and Reid Valade – to the Huskies line-up for the 2023-24 season.
Declan McDonnell
A 5’10” forward from Buffalo, New York, Declan McDonnell will be joining the Huskies from the Barrie Colts of the OHL, where he posted 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 63 games played in the 2022-23 season.
Over his three-season OHL career, McDonnell recorded 147 points (62 goals, 85 assists) in 189 games played with the Barrie Colts and Kitchener Rangers, adding 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 18 playoff games. He was selected in the seventh round (217 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“We are excited to add a former captain to our lineup in Declan McDonnell to our team,” says Huskies head coach Tyler Naugler. ” Declan is a hard nose, physical player that will contribute to our team in all three zones. His level of competitiveness will help him become an impact player immediately in U SPORTS.”
McDonnell will be studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business.
Reid Valade
A 5’10” forward from Caledon, Ontario, Reid Valade will be joining the Huskies from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he posted 49 points (33 goals, 16 assists) in 63 games played in the 2022-23 season.
Valade spent his entire four-season OHL career with the Rangers, and was an assistant captain for the past two seasons. He recorded 163 points (86 goals and 77 assists) in 240 regular season games with the Rangers.
“Reid Valade is joining the Huskies after a very productive junior career in Kitchener,” says Huskies head coach Tyler Naugler. “Reid has excellent offensive upside and is coming off two consecutive 30 goal seasons in the OHL. Reid also brings more leadership experience to our team. We are thrilled to add a player to our lineup with the ability to contribute offensively like Reid.”
Valade will be studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business.
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McDonnell, Roger, Uberti and Valade round out the Huskies 2023-24 recruiting class, joining forwards Ben Allison and Thomas Casey.
The Huskies finished second in the AUS in 2022-23 with a 26-13-2 overall record, reaching the AUS final and qualifying for the U CUP Nationals.