Garden River First Nation member signs pro hockey contract with Syracuse club
By Sam Laskaris
SYRACUSE – Owen Headrick is focusing on his professional hockey career a bit sooner than he had originally anticipated.
Headrick, a member of Garden River First Nation in nestled in Northern Ontario, was in his fifth and final season of university playing eligibility, juggling his academics and suiting up for the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers.
But Headrick, a 24-year-old defenceman, recently decided to leave his student/athlete life behind in order to sign a pro contract with the Syracuse Crunch, who compete in the American Hockey League (AHL).
The Syracuse squad is the top affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I thought of leaving at Christmas time,” said Headrick, who officially signed with the Crunch on Jan. 21. “But I wanted to go back to the island and wait a few weeks.”
Headrick’s original plan was to finish off his season with the Panthers and then explore his pro playing options.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions put a pause on the UPEI campaign, with no definitive date of when the club might resume playing, Headrick decided the time was right to turn his thoughts to pro hockey.
“That was the biggest one,” Headrick said, explaining the uncertainty of the UPEI return to action convinced him to ink a pro deal now.
Headrick had been serving as the captain of the Panthers this season. He had registered 15 points (four goals and 11 assists) in 18 games.
Besides being tied for third in team scoring, Headrick was also UPEI’s top scoring blueliner.
A couple of other AHL franchises had expressed interest in Headrick’s services, but he opted to ink a deal with the Crunch.
“I thought Syracuse was the right fit for me,” he said. “It’s a great organization and they have a really good pedigree.”
Headrick had graduated from UPEI with a Bachelor of Arts degree this past April. He decided to return to the school and use up his final year of collegiate eligibility while enrolling in Master of Education classes.
But now that he’s playing at the pro level, Headrick will not have time to continue his schooling, even remotely.
“I decided to focus on my hockey right now,” he said. “I can always go back and finish [the Master’s degree] at some point if I want.”
Headrick needs to complete eight more courses in order to obtain his Master’s degree.
Headrick made his AHL debut on Jan. 22, suiting up for the Syracuse club during its 6-3 road loss against the Utica Comets.
Upon arriving in Syracuse, Headrick was able to see a familiar face. The Crunch roster includes defenceman Darren Raddysh.
The pair were previously teammates during the 2016-17 season with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. Headrick and Raddysh played key roles as the Otters captured the league title in 2017.
“He’s been a great help to me so far, making me feel comfortable,” Headrick said of his former Erie and current Syracuse teammate.
For now, Headrick is living in a Syracuse hotel, a two-minute drive from the team’s home rink.
Headrick signed a 25-game professional tryout contract with the Crunch. He would need to be offered and agree to ink a standard AHL playing contract in order to complete Syracuse’s regular season, which continues until late April.