Prior to a game in Victoria on Saturday, October 19, Powell River Kings announced that 20-year-old forward Joel Purdom had been named as team captain. The Winnipeg native is in his first year with the Kings in the BC Hockey League after spending the previous two seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Purdom was the unanimous choice to don the C on his jersey, according to Kings’ general manager Stephan Seeger Jr.
“We sat down as a staff and said, ‘hey, let’s find a leader for that room and make sure they have someone to look up to,’” stated Seeger Jr. “We waited so long to name a captain to make sure we have the right guy, and Joel is that guy for us.”
Purdom was not named one of the assistant captains at the start of the season, so being named captain was a bit of a surprise.
“I was a little shocked, to be honest,” stated Purdom. “Not that I wasn’t expecting something but more of the sense that it came out of nowhere. I am honoured, didn’t really see it coming at first, but now that I am captain, I’m pretty pumped and looking forward to what’s to come.”
Seeger Jr. gave several reasons for why Purdom was chosen to lead the team.
“He’s the guy that comes every single day with his lunchbox and his hard hat and works his absolute bag off,” stated Seeger Jr. “Every single day there is a smile on his face, he’s cheering up the boys, he’s learning to get his voice within the team being a new player in this league.
“He’s a registered firefighter, so he is a guy who has absolutely no fear in the world. He’s going to go hard for us every single day and he’s an absolute team player. We couldn’t figure out a better role model to have on our team other than him and we are extremely proud to name him captain.”
Excited to take on an elevated role, Purdom knows what kind of leader he wants to be.
“Just someone who sets a good example, goes to work every night and lifts boys up when they are down,” stated Purdom. “That’s the main motto I want to go by.”
Kings skated to 6-3 win over the host Grizzlies in Purdom’s debut as captain. The next night (October 20), Purdom scored the lone goal in a 3-1 road loss to Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
