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 a Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business.
Ben Roger
A 6’4″ defenceman from Brighton, Ontario, Ben Roger will be joining the Huskies from the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, where he posted 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists) in 49 games played in the 2022-23 season.
Over his five-season OHL career, Roger recorded 32 points (5 goals, 27 assists) in 140 games played with the Kingston Frontenacs and London Knights, adding 2 assists in 11 playoff games. He was selected in the second round (49 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators.
Described as an elite skater, who covers a lot of ice, defends with a great stick, and makes a very good first pass out of the zone.
“The addition of Ben Roger to our backend rounds out a very solid Defence core.,” says Huskies head coach Tyler Naugler. ” Ben is a big body, an elite skate who defends well and will make plays in both zones. Ben has the ability to be an elite defender in U SPORTS.”
Roger will be studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business.
Jake Uberti
A 6’1″ forward from Toronto, Ontario, Jake Uberti will be joining the Huskies from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL.
Over his CHL career, Uberti appeared in 181 regular season games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Mississauga Steelheads and Niagara IceDogs, recording 85 points (39 goals, 46 assists), and added 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 17 playoff appearances.
“Jake Uberti adds size and a physical presence to our lineup,” says Huskies head coach Tyler Naugler. ” Jake uses his big body to create space for himself in the offensive zone and contribute on both sides of the puck. Jake is another player for us that has experience in a leadership role in junior.”
Uberti will be studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology at Saint Mary’s.
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 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.
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