Nicolle Hodges | [email protected]
Named after his parents鈥� favourite musicians, Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello, he must be destined for something great - right?
Elvis Slack, a former Jasper Bantam Bearcat and rookie with the Grand Forks Border Bruins, is making a name for himself on the ice.
As a leading scorer with 21 goals in 30 games, it鈥檚 not just his size (six-feet, 180 pounds) that鈥檚 working to his advantage, but his ability to see what needs to be done, execute effectively and encourage his teammates along the way.
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) is getting better each year; players are faster, stronger, bigger.
And with plenty of boys showing up with these embedded traits, it鈥檚 an innate talent that needs to be noticed and nurtured.
Slack, 17, said he is impressed by the KIJHL鈥檚 level of play and that 鈥渁nyone can beat anyone on a night.鈥�
Essentially: it鈥檚 not over until the final buzzer and he loves battling until the end.
Tenacity? Sure, he鈥檚 got that too.
As a graduate of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), Slack is discovering that life on the ice now that he鈥檚 with KIJHL is much quicker.
Slack is always ready, and if not, ready to be challenged and learn.
Whether that means improving his skating, puck handling, or getting his shots off a bit quicker, his dedication to improvement is paying off.
As far as Border Bruins coach John Clewlow can see, Slack is on the right path to becoming an even more potent player.
鈥淵ou can see it in Elvis when something doesn鈥檛 go right. He just bears down and starts taking the body,鈥� said Clewlow.
鈥淜ind of puts kids in place with his size and his strength.鈥�
And for the young player, this is just the beginning.
Slack鈥檚 goal is to play in the B.C. Hockey League next season and, it might come as little surprise, he already has interested teams ready to make his name the next big one.
