SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – Summerside native Cam Critchlow is returning to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen for his second season.
The five-foot-10, 189-pound forward had 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 67 games last season. Jacksonville is an affiliate team of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
“I’m really looking forward to returning for a second season in Jax,” said Critchlow. “For me, it was a no-brainer to return and play in front of the best fans in the ECHL. (We’re) eager to get things started and get ourselves in the playoffs this season.”
Jacksonville (26-39-4-3) finished fifth in the seven-team South Division.
Critchlow began his hockey career in Slemon Park with the Andrews hockey school and continued through the Summerside and Area Minor Hockey Association. He finished his minor hockey at Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask.
He began his junior career with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan before playing 1 ½ seasons with the Lewiston Maineiacs and a year with the Halifax Mooseheads. He played five seasons with the UNB Varsity Reds, winning three national university titles. He was the captain in Lewiston, Halifax and UNB.
He played 26 games with the Adelaide Adrenaline of the Australian Ice Hockey League in 2016-17, recording 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 26 games. He was named the league MVP and an all-star.
The 26-year-old was an assistant captain with the Icemen in the franchise’s first season.
“When you start a roster from scratch like we did last year, you don’t always know what you’re going to get,” said head coach Jason Christie. “You hope to get a guy like Critch – a hard worker who the rest of the locker room looks up to. He’s a great hockey player, but more importantly, he’s a great guy and that’s the foundation we want to build this team upon.”
