Quarrie enjoying the Lakers spotlight

John Quarrie was a little bit overwhelmed to see the media throng that was at Memorial Gardens to greet him during the Nipissing Lakers Varsity Hockey teams press conference on Tuesday.

Quarrie, who just finished his overage season with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, is the first Nipissing Lakers player to meet the media. The 20-year-old Ariss, Ontario product isn’t used to the spotlight during his junior hockey days; as he was used to watching the media flock to future NHLers John Tavares and Michael Del Zotto.

“I think I got more interviews today than I did in my whole career in the OHL,” Quarrie said after the press conference Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Gardens.

Quarrie realizes that expansion teams don't always see success in year one, but coming to a new program still had its appeal.

“I think a lot of the teams are going to take us for granted and as coach Mike said he’s bringing a couple OHL guys in so the team is going to come together pretty nice and we are going to try to make a run for it so for me it’s just a new chapter in my life, I played a couple years in the OHL and I decided to go to school and just to play hockey and go to school is a good thing for me.”

Quarrie had 1 goal and 8 assists in 68 games last season for the Generals. From the education side of the ice, he comes to Nipissing in search of a degree in Criminology and would like to become a police officer if a career in hockey doesn’t work out.

“A lot of the OHL guys are going off and trying to make it in pro and if you can make it in pro that’s great but if you can’t you have to have something to fall back on so what I’m trying to do is get my education and with the pro opportunities here with Mike’s connections in Europe and if that doesn’t happen, at least I have my education that I can fall back on. “

Support

Quarrie is not alone in his journey to the Gateway City. His girlfriend, Lindsey Robins, will be moving up to North Bay with him.

Lindsey knows North Bay as her mother was born here.

“I think it’s one of the best places to start your academic career as well as playing his favourite sport of hockey,” she said.

“OUA Hockey is often overshadowed at other universities such as U of T which I experienced with the Varsity Blues so to be part of something from the beginning and to also have the support and the attention is something remarkable.”

Quarrie believes Lindsey’s presence will make the transition to the north an easy one.

“Just having my girlfriend here is more of a support for me, I’m about 4 to 6 hours from my hometown so just to have somebody I can lean on is a good support for me, and she’s already graduated from the University of Toronto so she can help me out a little bit in that aspect and give me some pointers here and there. She’s more of a hockey nut than I am.”