The already deep Thunder Cats blue line continues to evolve with the addition of 2002 born defenseman Colby Bechthold from Boyle, AB. Colby spent this season and last with the Weyburn Red Wings of the SJHL and prior to that played U18 AAA with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. The 6’1”, 190 lbs. defenseman brings a physical style of play to the lineup.
A barrage of signings and trades to accommodate for an equally active injured reserve has left the Thunder Cats with some decisions to make on the back end. “We are fortunate to have Colby, and our defensive corps in general. We want to have the identity of having a strong group on the blue line in all scenarios and Colby is a big part in achieving that”, quoted Head Coach Bill Rotheisler.
Associate Coach Brandon Switzer said “a solid 2-way defenseman, that brings leadership and junior A experience to the group. He will play a key role in shutting down other teams’ top lines and has already shown his ability in a couple of team ice times to control the play. He will be a big part of our goals and process moving forward”.
When asked about his decision, Colby responded “I’ve had a past teammate play in Creston so I knew it was a good community to play in. The conversations with Bill were great. He was very interested in me, and I thought it would be a great fit.”