Panthers look into the 'Eye of the Strom' with signing of 18-year-old speedster

September 26, 2020
North Saanich, British Columbia

Carson Strom took full advantage of the Peninsula Panthers July Identification Camp and in short, was identified.  The 18-year-old speedster raced up and down the sheet all weekend long and was pretty well impossible not to see.  And he continued in the several weeks following the Camp making him a must for Head Coach Brad Tippett to ink.  And with the signing, the Club has added yet another speedster who can skate - a commodity of which the Panthers cannot get enough.

Tippett on Strom:
"Carson is the perfect example of why we have evaluation camps. We knew were fairly deep on left wing and there might not be a spot available. From Day 1 he was always in the middle of the action. The one thing that stood out for me is he didn’t change the way he played when we added the veterans – he was still making something happen. I had a chat with him where he told me he was comfortable playing the off wing. Versatility is something you can never have enough of.   Speed is one of his weapons and he plays with a bit of an edge.  I think you will see him riding shotgun for Sdrakas throughout the season."

Strom played last season with the Victoria Royals Major Midget squad and was on a line with another rookie just recently signed, centreman Aleko Sdrakas.  The two have some chemistry built having played together for the past two seasons and both can outright fly.

"I met the Strom family several years ago, I think they had just moved to the area at the time.  Carson and his younger brother Jack came out onto our ice in the summer, the kids might have been only fourteen and thirteen years old at the time.  But they drifted away until this summer and I am glad they found their way back out here.  We like the younger brother as well."

Strom on Strom:
"I’m super excited to get the season started. I’ve been waiting what feels like forever to finally start my Jr Hockey career. 

I’ve moved around a lot as a kid for my dad's job, so I’ve learned to adapt to new situations and now I find it pretty easy to play hockey with new people or strangers, because that’s just what I’m used to.  I started out in Kerry Park, then to Cranbrook for Pee Wee, then to Campbell River for my last year of Bantam, and I finished my Midget career in Victoria for PCHA, and the South Island Royals.  I’m very fortunate to have met so many great guys that I played with on both teams, for example my line mate of two years and now my Panthers Centreman Aleko Sdrakas. I’m really excited to continue that chemistry, and to play with some familiar faces such as Connor Svienson, Lucas Thomson-Fiddes, Owen Cox, and Ethan Ewer. But I’m equally looking forward to getting to know all my new brothers and carry on the success they had last year."

Strom and the Panthers will not have to wait much longer as the VIJHL Regular Season Schedule is set to move forward next week.