Learning the ropes with Wolverines

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

Former local UFA Bisons defenseman Josh Bishop had to make some transitions in his Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) rookie season, having to go from a rebuilding Fort MacMurray Oil Barons team to a contending Whitecourt Wolverines club.
Bishop said he fit in comfortably with his new teammates after the initial shock and disappointment of being traded away from his friends in Fort MacMurray, including former Bison teammates Shane Fraser and Will Conley.
“It’s been a great experience because I get to see both sides of the AJHL,” said Bishop. “I know Whitecourt feels more like a team. They get along a little more and I guess it’s a little easier to get along when you win in times when you push through adversity and lean on each other to make each other better.”
Since the trade, he has been assigned to be more of a shutdown guy, with emphasis on being strong in the defensive zone, while most nights he had been playing a normal shift with the injuries that mounted on the backend.
“To start out I was getting quite a bit of playing time,” recalled Bishop. “Then one of the veteran defensemen, who was hurt, he came back so me and another kid started rotating back and forth. Then last weekend in Cochrane we just lost one of our veteran defensemen that was playing every game. Now I should be playing as long as I keep up and play consistent.”
With the playoffs looming, the pace will be amped up, and Bishop feels that it will be important as a rookie to bring the positive energy to the team by always being up in the play, finishing checks and winning battles.
He added that the hockey community is similar to that of Strathmore’s because of the small, hometown support that helps the organization, with the team involved in school visits, signing autographs, and planning events.
“In both place you get unbelievable support from the fans and other families and billet families,” said Bishop. “It’s just great. I know Strathmore has a billeting program. It’s been successful the last few years. It’s a lot different because there’s a lot more guys from different places like all over Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. The community is just unbelievable here and the support you get from the little kids when you go to the school, you’re a celebrity. It’s kind of cool.”
Wolverines head coach Joey Bouchard said they had their eye on Bishop since the beginning of the season when they faced the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, and a video prior to the trade deadline helped in the decision.
“We thought a kid being an 18-year-old, it’d be a good opportunity to bring him here to Whitecourt and keep working on his development, and he has fit in really nicely with this program,” said Bouchard. “He’s a good team player. Josh fit in with the team immediately, good character guy who’ll provide some leadership for a few more years.”