Posted: Jun 25, 2020

Shoemaker commits to Salve Regina

Shoemaker becomes the third player from Alberta, Canada to join the Seahawks for the 2020-21 season.

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University men's ice hockey head coach Zech Klann announces the commitment of Joel Shoemaker (Crossfield, Alberta) for the 2020-21 season.

"We are pleased to announce the commitment of Joel Shoemaker. He has tremendous skating ability and plays with a competitive edge," said Klann. "Joel plays with poise and confidence with the puck on his stick. He will not only bring depth to our blue line, but will also bring character to our locker room. We believe he will fit well in our hockey program as we continue to grow our roster with players from top junior hockey programs across North America."

Shoemaker played 42 games for the Olds Grizzlys in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 2019-20.

Coming from a small agricultural town in the prairies of Alberta, going to a smaller school like Salve Regina felt like a natural fit.

"Salve being a smaller school looked like a great opportunity for me," said Shoemaker. "Coming from a small town where I never had big classes, going to a college where it was going to be more personal really appealed to me."

Salve Regina's heralded location along the ocean was a factor for Shoemaker as well.

"The location is going to be great. It'll be different, it won't be the plain and rocky Alberta, it'll be nice to be on the coast with nicer weather," said Shoemaker. "And coming to a team with a winning record is really exciting with a chance of winning a championship."

Shoemaker describes himself as a quick, puck-moving defenseman, that can control the pace of the game.

"Joel is a very smart defender who uses his edges very well and has impressive agility while handling a puck with speed," said assistant coach Chris Davis. "We believe he can step right in and handle the increased speed at this level of play and will contain opposing players as well as contribute offensively."

Salve Regina now has four players on its roster that have played games within the Olds Grizzlys hockey program in the Alberta Junior Hockey League; Returning sophomore Cayden Kraus, and freshman Duncan Hughes, Levi Mitchell and Joel Shoemaker. The three-incoming freshman will be the first three student hockey players to attend Salve Regina from Alberta. Out of that group, Duncan Hughes will be the first male nursing student hockey player in the program's history. The Seahawks now total six players from Northern Canada between Alberta and Manitoba.