The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have named the player who will lead the team into what is sure to be a unique season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defenceman Hunter Sansbury was picked to wear the ‘C.’ The Lomita, California native is gearing up for his final year of junior hockey and his second season as a Silverback.
The announcement from the organization noted Sansbury’s impact in the form of the 24 points he contributed last season and the way he conducted himself both on and off the ice. Sansbury was known for standing up for his teammates and never taking a shift off.
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“I am honoured to be named captain of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for this upcoming season,” Sansbury said. “I’m looking forward to helping lead this team to a championship with all my brothers around me: through battle and anything else that comes our way. This team, this opportunity, this community means everything to me.”
Silverbacks general manager Brooks Christensen called Sansbury an outstanding young man who is essential to the culture the team is building.
“He’s an unbelievable teammate that is willing to do anything for the team. We know Hunter will represent our organization to the best of his ability and wear the captaincy with pride,” Christensen said.
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The Silverbacks’ main camp begins next week and the team will select assistant captains by the week’s end.
The camp and the coming season of Silverbacks hockey will be under the direction of newly minted head coach Tyler Shattock, who had been the team’s assistant coach before getting promoted at the end of 2019.
The league stated in July that they were aiming for a Dec. 1 start to the regular season, with teams able to hold training camps at the beginning of September.
jim.elliot@saobserver.net
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