The last time Colton McCarthy got recalled by the Moose Jaw Warriors, it was for four games. This time, he will be sticking around for a little bit longer.
The 16-year-old from Salmon Arm, B.C. has been called up for the Warriors for the remainder of the season.
“It feels great. Just getting called up has been exciting,” said McCarthy prior hitting the ice for practice on Tuesday afternoon. “It is an unbelievable feeling.”
McCarthy received a phone call from Assistant General Manager and Head Scout, Rob MacLachlan earlier this week while he was in school. That call told him he wasn’t just staying for a couple more games, but that he has earned his way onto the team.
“I thought I was just going to get called up for a couple games over Christmas, but Rob MacLachlan said that I would be up for the rest of the year,” stated McCarthy. “He was talking to me in class and the teacher was talking to the students, but I just kept talking. I just had a big smile on my face.”
The Warriors called up McCarthy for four games in November and although he didn’t record a point, he and the team felt like he had made an impression.
“I think I had a great four games. I got my speed up and thought I was playing well playing with the speed,” said McCarthy.
His play with the Nelson Junior Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League also was impressive — he was second on the team in scoring with 31 points and 19th in the league.
“I think with how well he has played in Junior B in B.C. and the four game stint really showed us that he was ready to play at this level, even as a 16-year-old,” said Warriors General Manager Alan Millar. “Nelson did a great job with him. We just thought that he was a guy that we wanted here on the ice with our coaches and our team for the rest of the year.”
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
