Four year veteran and captain of last year’s Turnbull Cup Champion Winnipeg Blues, Channing Bresciani, has commited to the University of Manitoba for next season.
The 21 year old from Winnipeg is coming off a very solid year personally, putting up 36 points in 58 games.
Bresciani capped off his four years with the Blues with a championship this past season, and says the organization continues to grow every year and sees great things for the future.
‘Since my first season with a brand new room, brand new facility (MTS IcePlex), I feel like everything keeps on improving every year.’
Bresciani also grew each year in the league, improving his point total every year, but more importantly, developing an underrated all around game that didn’t go unnoticed by the Blues coaching staff, ultimately leading to Bresciani being named captain for this past season.
‘It was definitely an honour being named captain of the Blues’, says Bresciani. We had a lot of leadership, were a great team and obviously proved it in the playoffs.
The jump from Junior A to University isn’t easy for all players, but Bresciani says the coaching staff and playing in a tough league definitely prepared him for the jump.
‘Both Don and Billy (Keane) and the whole coaching staff taught me a lot and definitely left it in my hands to make the jump to University hockey.’
Bresciani is excited to start the next chapter in his hockey life with the Bisons, and will be playing with and against a handful of former teammates who have also made the jump to CIS hockey. But Bresciani remembers not too long ago being the rookie for the Blues, and credited the leaders on the team for helping him get his feet wet. In turn, he offered some advice of his own to players heading into camp for the upcoming season.
‘For the new players coming to the organization, when times get tough, I’d definitely say just don’t get down on yourself. Mistakes will be made, but it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them that will separate you from the other players.’
And for Bresciani, a player who grew and improved every season with the Blues, you can tell he took that advice to heart.
And that will be a good thing for the U of M program for the years to come.
HELLOOOOOs