OKOTOKS, AB (July 15, 2021) – Sporting his Okotoks Oilers jersey for his fourth Alberta Junior Hockey League season, 2001-born defenceman Tucker McRae (Calgary, AB) will add the captain’s “C” to the front for the upcoming 2021-22 campaign, the team announced today.
The next captain of your Okotoks Oilers is #5 Tucker McRae!
Full Story –> https://t.co/x2ye55ROYz#AJHL pic.twitter.com/PGDvNjxLRG
– Okotoks Oilers (@OkotoksOilers) July 15, 2021
McRae succeeds forwards Louis Jamernik and Carson Dyck, who captained the team in each half of the abbreviated 2020-21 season.
“Tucker has always had a good pulse of the dressing room and a sense of our team’s expectations,” said Head Coach and General Manager Tyler Deis. “His work ethic and dedication to our program will be extremely beneficial to the young kids we will have coming in this year; he will be a great guy to lead from.”
“It carries a huge weight,” said McRae. “There’s a lot of history in this organization, a lot of good players that have come through here, and a lot of great people have worn the “˜C’, so it means a lot to me.”
The 6’0″, 181 lb rearguard recorded two assists in eight regular season games last year, following up his first full Junior A campaign in 2019-20 in which he scored 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in 40 games, with two of his three goals recording game-winners. He was subsequently named to the league’s All-Academic Team.
Previously, he suited up as an affiliate in four games for the team in 2018-19, but also dressed in six playoff games on the team’s march to the AJHL South Final that season, a year in which he completed two standout years with the Edge School’s U18 Prep squad. In his CSSHL career he dressed in 62 games, scoring 7 goals and 33 assists for 40 points in that span.
“We’re looking for Tucker to have a strong hold on the back end this season,” Deis projected, with McRae set to be the team’s only returning 20-year old defenceman this season. “He’ll help our young defence corps out, we’ll expect big minutes from him playing in all situations, and he’ll be leading by example back there.”
“I’m a guy that everyone can look to in the room and trust,” McRae added. “They can look to me for guidance throughout the season. I know it will be a young group this year, so we’ll be trying to get guys together, and get them close.”
Season tickets for the Oilers’ upcoming 2021-22 season are now on sale, with early bird pricing providing incredible value for a long-awaited full season of AJHL hockey. Fans can purchase online at tickets.okotoksoilers.ca.
Corporate partnership opportunities for the coming Oilers season are also available, with new in-game sponsorships coupled with high-exposure physical advertising space at Pason Centennial Arena. For more information, call the Oilers office at 403-995-2255 or email admin@okotoksoilers.com.