Merson making the most of last junior season

Josh Merson hopes to lead the Skyhawks to another NOJHL title and get a U.S. college hockey scholarship in the process. Photo by Chris Dawson.

For Josh Merson, North Bay is a long way from his home in Baltimore, Maryland (roughly 1300 Kilometers), but the Skyhawks defenceman feels right at home.

Merson's journey north started as a member of the Washington Little Capitals 3 years ago. His team played in two midget tournaments in the Ottawa area, where he was scouted and later signed by the Pembroke Lumberkings.

Last season Pembroke traded the Baltimore native to the Skyhawks. However, the 20 year old defenceman almost didn’t come back this fall as an American junior club, the Texas Tornado, owned by Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano, tried to lure him south. The deal fell through and Merson is glad because this year he is having a banner season, leading the team in scoring while playing on the Skyhawks blueline.

“I liked what I had up here so I really didn’t want to move around a lot, scouts saw me up here, when you tend to move around a lot then they sort of lose track of you, I mean I like this town a lot, its got great fan support, better than any USHL team, top teams I guess, I mean its just a great place to play, so I like it up here,” Merson said.

Skyhawks head coach Randy Edmonds likes having him up here too.

“Josh has been great, he’s a role model veteran or captain, you know he’s one of those guys I don’t have to worry about with preparation, his performance on the ice, he’s led the team in scoring for a good majority of the season, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out what he’s done on the ice, but it’s all the off-ice stuff, he’s very, very fit, he’s very serious about preparation before practice and after practice and he’s a kind of kid that your proud to say he’s a North Bay Skyhawk,” Edmonds said.

And Merson is comfortable with that leadership role.

“I’m just trying to help the young guys get through you know what I mean, and I think I’m doing a fairly good job this year and basically I’m an offensive defenseman, and I can play defense if we need it in a tight spot but I’m here to score,” he said.

Merson is in the twilight of his junior career, so he wants to make the most out of his last few months in North Bay. He realizes that a good stretch run for him and the Skyhawks will boost his chances of getting a U.S. college hockey scholarship back home.

“They sort of coincide,” Merson said.

“The farther you get, you are obviously going to get noticed by more people, the same people are going to keep coming to see you so as far as we go that’s going to help me out in the long run, and help everyone else on this team if we can keep rolling and keep winning, especially if we could get to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup that would be great.”

Colgate University is apparently watching him closely and Edmonds believes Merson will be able to pick and choose what school he wants to go to.

“Josh is going to get a scholarship, there are no if’s, and’s or but’s about it,” Edmonds insists.

“I have full faith that he can play Division I hockey in the United States and I’m sure he’s going to do that.”