At 6-4, Xander Gerritsen is only just beginning to grow into his hockey game.
The 15-year-old defenceman has had a recent run of success on the ice, winning the Tier-4 Bantam Provincial Championships in Kitimat in March and capturing a Junior All Native hockey title in Prince George with the Northwest Eagles earlier this month.
But Gerritsen is the first to admit that the winning streak is the result of a long and steady grind to improve his skills, and the process has made the end result even more satisfying.
“It feels very good since I started playing late and wasn’t the best ever,” Gerritsen said. “To start getting good at it after putting in the work feels like a real accomplishment.”
Gerritsen was first introduced to hockey on Lakelse Lake as a youngster living in Terrace. He said he remembers watching some of his neighbours playing a game on the lake, and while he was too young to play, he said the speed of the game stood out to him.
“I remember how fast they were moving and how they knew what they were doing without trying,” he said. “I guess it sparked an interest.”
A year later, Gerritsen started to play. He was eight years old, which is relatively old to start playing a sport where most competitive players start at least three years earlier. As a result, Gerritsen’s puck handling and skating skills weren’t as good as the other kids he played against.
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“You usually start when you’re really young,” he said. “And I wasn’t the best player, but I started liking it so I tried harder at it.”
In addition to his late start, Gerritsen said even though his family was supportive, they didn’t know a lot about hockey when he was starting. Gerritsen’s father, Jeroen, grew up in Holland playing volleyball and was unfamiliar with not only the rules of the game but also the subtle nuances of routine and preparation that are second nature to those who grew up playing it.
Gerritsen recalls his father using clear sock tape before a game to tape up his stick instead of black stick tape.
“I didn’t know at the time, but thinking back, I realize how silly it must have looked,” said Gerritsen.
Gerritsen’s family moved back to Prince Rupert when he was 11 years old, and while he was tall for his age — he was already 5-11 — Gerritsen admits that he was not in good shape, and weight hampered his early development.
“I used to be pretty chubby,” he said.
Gerritsen dedicated himself to getting stronger, putting in hours at the gym lifting weights.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing,” he said. “If it hurt and burned a little bit, I’d stick with.”
The new routine combined with additional growth helped turn Gerritsen into a powerful force on the ice. In 2016, he joined Prince Rupert’s peewee rep hockey team and anchored its backline. The inexperienced, young team did not win very much in their first year together, but most of the players from that squad moved up to the bantam rep team that made a championship run during the 2017-2018 season.
By this time, Gerritsen, now 15, had grown to 6-4, and his skills were beginning to catch up with his large frame. The higher level of play also allowed him to really let loose on the ice.
“I was like, ‘Yes! I finally get to do something’,” Gerritsen said. “Peewee was mainly speed, but bantam was speed plus strength.”
The Seawolves entered the provincial tournament in Kitimat as a wildcard, and went 5-0 to win the tournament, beating Langley 2-1 in the finals.
“It was amazing to win that final game,” he said. “It was my first time going to provincials, and to win it with my teammates was an awesome feeling.”
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Shortly after the rep team finished their season, Gerritsen was invited to play in the Junior All Native hockey tournament, which the team also won. He said that All-Native tournament was less intense than provincials, but it was still an honour to represent his town and his family. The Northwest Eagles have also been invited to play in another All Native tournament in Regina in May.
Gerritsen said he has a long way to go before he reaches the level he wants on the ice. He is constantly improving and getting stronger and even though the season is over, he is already looking ahead to making another championship run next year. He said along the journey, he’s learned that no matter what you want to do, having a clear goal and drive will help you accomplish it.
“Just keep trying and if you try your hardest and you actually put your mind to it, you’ll have a good outcome,” he said.
matthew.allen@thenorthernview.com
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