The Midale Senior Mustangs team recently announced a new addition to their roster: former NHL defenseman Keaton Ellerby. Midale Mustangs head Coach and Team Manager, Dustin Graham, says they recruited Ellerby in the summer.
“All through the off season we do a lot of recruiting. We know quite a few guys and that kind of rabbit holes into meeting more guys and we stumbled across a guy who was buddies with Keaton and he was looking to play some senior hockey. We got to him first and he agreed to come.”
Ellerby, who formerly played for the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, joined Midale on the ice for the first time in Carlyle last weekend. Graham explains after three years off the ice he was hoping to ease in but jumped right into the lineup on Saturday.
“It doesn't really matter what level you've played at. If you haven't played in three years, I mean the legs are going to be a little rusty. I don't think he was liking as much ice time as he was getting. But he loved it, he told me he hasn't had that much fun playing in a while. And he really likes the pace of play, and he says it's good hockey.”
Graham continues saying Ellerby was surprised at the team dynamic and plans to stick around.
"He told me that he was just surprised at how well everybody gets along. He said to me that he hasn't had this much fun playing hockey in a long time. I think he's loving it. He's going to come back. He said he'd come back if we'll have him back."
Graham says Ellerby will be back in action on Saturday in Carlyle, as well as their Christmas home game on December 28th. He hopes the addition will strengthen their defense and overall leadership.
“We're hoping that he can just step into a role right away, obviously he'd be a good leader. He's skilled. He's a big body. You would hope that he can just be tough on pucks and help us in the defensive zone and maybe jump up on the rush plays. Just all the right things that are supposed to happen in the defense zone and then maybe help us out on the power plays and all that good stuff.”
“A guy with his past, there's probably nothing he can't really help you with.”
He describes Ellerby’s addition as a boost to the fans and the community as well as the team.
“It's always really cool when you get a guy with a history like Keaton right? I mean the community gets talking and for the kids that watch. It's pretty cool for them to think that there's a former NHLer playing in Midale, which is just really cool for us and it's more cool for the younger kids that come out and watch us for sure.”