ISLE OF WIGHT, UK – Canadian star Jason Gorrie says he is ready to do whatever it takes to make the upcoming season a successful one for the Wightlink Raiders. The 5ft 10inch forward will fly over to the UK this summer for his first taste of British hockey.
Evansville days (Photo by Steinhaus Fotographie)
Gorrie joins a Wightlink side that had a fantastic streak towards the end of last season and are widely tipped to go one better in 2010/11. Head Coach Jeremy Cornish has already finalised and published his roster ahead of the campaign in a move that is out of synch with other clubs in the English National League. Cornish was keen to get the formalities done and dusted as early as possible so that the club could hit the ground running come the start of the season.
After last season’s import John Sarno left the club mid season due to a family bereavement, Cornish will be hoping that he has better luck with the recruitment of Gorrie. The 24 year old Ontario native spent last season with Brockport State Golden Eagles in the NCAA III, as well as a short spell with Evansville Icemen after he graduated. Ending the season with the Icemen proved to be a good move for Gorrie as he posted five goals and four assists in his six games with the team and he ended the year with some silverware:
“Instead of getting a real job after I graduated, I decided to drive to Indiana with my buddy Ryan Ford. We signed up with Evansville and put up some good numbers along with our fellow Canadian Aaron Napham. We clicked well as a line and took home some hardware at the end of the year which was a great time”
Known for his big shot and offensive style of play, Gorrie joins a team whose coach is known more for his toughness than goal scoring. Jeremy Cornish comes with a reputation as a fighter and Gorrie has put in a little research prior to flying over to the UK, and he likes what he sees:
“Jeremy’s a pretty big Canadian boy, when I Googled his name and found his fights on YouTube I realised just how tough a guy he really is, and how much he likes to drop the mitts. It’s always nice to have a guy like that around”
Hardware to hovercraft(Photo by Steinhaus Fotographie)
For his part, Cornish also did research of his own on Gorrie and picked him up in a deal brokered by Gareth Chalmers of 9 Hockey Management. Wightlink were not the only ENL team interested in the Canadian’s services however after speaking with Cornish, Gorrie decided to opt for a season on the island. Moving to the UK is always an interesting move for any young hockey player, but with Wightlink being based on the offshore Isle of Wight, it does add an interesting twist. Given the fact he will have to cross the Solent estuary to get to games on the road, how is he on the high seas?
“No I don’t get sea sick” says Corrie laughing: “But I’m looking forward to jumping on the hovercraft and seeing for myself what that’s all about. I will be living on the Island, with a few of the other players, which will be fun. I have never visited the Island, but I hear it’s beautiful,
“I have been to England before; when I was younger I used to go over to England every year to visit all my family there. My Mom was born in England so we have a ton of family all over the place that I would go and visit. I have always loved England, and I am excited about this new transition to be able to live and play hockey there for a few months”
Cornish will be hoping that Gorrie makes a big impact on the ENL this season. Wightlink suffered a lack of goals in the regular season last time out and with the other teams in the league also boosting their rosters; the standard will be even higher this year. For his part, Gorrie isn’t fazed by what lies ahead on the ice:
“I am expecting some quality hockey, I will be looking to make an impact right away, and hopefully we can get off to a good start, and win as many games as possible. As long as we win, I’ll do whatever it takes”
Wightlink have unearthed some top class imports over the years and fans on the Island will hope Gorrie is the latest to join the list of success stories.
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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