Our time with Scott was short, but very pleasant. The 6'5"+ guy towered over all of us and most everyone on the ice. This was his rookie season, and again, he was the player we received when our first player, Chris Newans, was traded to Pensacola.
Scott is quite the character, too. He has a quirky sense of humor and picks up on things quickly. By the end of the season, he was one of the hardest working defensemen on the team. Due to several injuries and suspensions, there were times we were down to 2 or 3 defensemen a game and Scott definitely stepped his game up to help out the team. He would come off the ice and be totally exhausted, but he never lacked time to talk to fans, especially kids. He volunteered to speak at schools and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to interact with the smaller fans.
Scott is a farm boy from Manitoba. His comes from a family of grain farmers and they also raise Belgian work horses. He would sit for hours and talk about his home, his family, and different things he had experienced while in the United States. He genuinely loved to learn new things and he was game to try anything.
As I said, our time with Scott was short but we thoroughly enjoyed it. It is uncertain whether he will be returning to Wheeling for the next season. It will depend on him and whether Coach Brophy invites him. If he returns, I hope that we get the chance to spend more time with him. He said he would be happy to have us as a Booster family again, and maybe this time, we would get to know him even better. If he doesn't come back, we certainly wish him the best of luck and hope that he makes his way up the hockey ladder!

2004-2005 Update: After Scott left Wheeling, he went on to play with the Macon Whoopee and the hated Reading Royals, but didn't finish the season due to a severe injury. The following year, Scott headed south to play in the CHL with the Austin Ice Bats and the Fort Worth Brahmas. It will be interesting to see where he lands this season. Scott is the only English-speaking player that we have pretty much lost contact with. We still wish him the best and hope he finds success in whatever he does.

2006 Update: In May of 2006 I received a surprise in my email. It came in the form of an email from Scott's girlfriend, Lindsay. She wrote to tell me that she and Scott are living in their hometown of Dauphin and are in the process of buying a house. Scott is an assistant golf pro at the local golf course and is finishing his schooling to become a full-fledged pro. It sounds like he and Lindsay are happy, and that is certainly good news. I hope Lindsay (and Scott!) will stay in touch and let us know how they are getting along. It always makes you feel good to know that your friends are doing well!!