Jr. Canes Make Their Mark

15U Team Putting North Carolina At The Center of Hockey Conversations

It’s known as the Tar Heel State. Home of the biggest rivalry in college basketball and one of the most iconic in all of sports between in-state foes Duke and North Carolina. The home state of Michael Jordan. Where Blue Devils’ coach Mike Krzyzewski and Tar Heels’ coach Roy Williams combine for eight NCAA championships. 

The state of North Carolina is the mecca of college basketball; where hardwood dreams start and end. 

For a group of 2005s, though, aspirations from the ice rink fuel them to shift that focus from ‘a basketball state’ to a hockey hotbed. 

As a whole, the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes have been one of the fastest growing organizations in youth hockey over the past decade. With 35 teams across 12 different age classifications, including boys and girls teams, the surrounding area of Raleigh has seen an impressive boom in growth of the sport. Credit the professional team’s success from a 2006 Stanley Cup championship that fanned the flames of interest. Or maybe the investment in the community made by former players like Justin Williams and Rod Brind’Amour, whose children now play on local teams. Nonetheless, it has compounded over time to produce groups like the ‘05 Jr. Canes who have climbed the ranks to throw their hat in the ring amongst top teams in the country.

With a 22-6-6 record this season, coach Steve Rice’s team is currently ranked 32nd in the U.S. by MyHockeyRankings, and has peaked as high as 19th at one point in 2020. It began in October with an impressive tournament championship at the first annual CCM World Invite Dallas. The Jr. Canes went 3-0-1 in the round-robin portion of the weekend, including a 2-1 win over No. 23 Dallas Stars Elite. In the championship on Sunday, Carolina topped Minnesota Lakers 6-2 to cap off the tournament, outscoring opponents 21-7 en route to a first-place finish in Texas.

Propelled by two impressive goaltenders in net, Aiden Wright and Carter Zamora combined to start the season with a 12-0-2 record. The tandem remained unbeaten until Nov. 22nd when the Pittsburgh Predators narrowly upended the Canes 3-2. It has been a near 50-50 split between the pipes, where Wright maintains a 2.72 goals-against average with a .912 save percentage and Zamora has compiled a 2.64 goals against with a .902 save percentage.

Up front, the squad is incredibly balanced with 10 players reaching the 20-point plateau already this season. 

Michael Bartkowski leads the way with 22 goals and 34 points, but forwards Carter Dougherty, Robert Osburn, Jack Ammons, Nicholas Shook, Zachary Onze, Daniel Prazma and Holden Koufman have all surpassed the 10-goal and 20-point mark as well. Defenseman Conner de Haro leads the backend in scoring with five goals and 27 points, and Liam Wolf Taulbee is tied for third on the team in assists, accounting for 14 of his 23 points.

It’s a balanced attack while playing 5-on-5, and a two-headed monster in net. With that combination, it’s no surprise that the ‘05 Jr. Canes have found success during the 20-21 season. The only question is how far can they go from here? 

With high-profile names and impressive numbers, this group of 19 players looks to continue pushing the envelope and reaching new heights. It’s not just about tournament championships or climbing that national rankings, it’s about cementing the state of North Carolina as a new haven for youth hockey to thrive. 

Make your mark at the next CCM World Invite with 200×85. For the best experience in youth hockey, click HERE.