Defenseman Xavier Fortin will enter his third season with the Eagles with a clear list of expectations, for both himself and the club.

“My goal is to be a productive defenseman and be able to help my team in any kind of situation,” Fortin began.

“Of course, as a team, I would really like to see us at least with a Mountain Division championship” he added.

“We’re excited to get one more year with him and we know he will bring a lot to our D core and our team,” extolled Head Coach/General Manager Steve Haddon.

The Candiac, QUE product found the scoresheet early and often last season. He averaged nearly a point per game (19 points in first 24 games), had a career-high 5 point game, and was named two time Player of the Week in the season’s first six weeks. Fortin quarterbacked a power play unit and was well on his way to a career-best 2021-22 campaign. It all changed with one tough bounce on a night in Pueblo.

In early December, Fortin blocked a shot and tried to shake it off. He eventually left the game with a wrist injury that necessitated a two-month stint on the IR.

Throughout the process, Fortin and the Eagles didn’t waver from ensuring Fortin was 100% ready to return; he was re-inserted into the lineup two months to the day after his wrist injury. As frustrating as it was for Fortin to not be on the ice, it cemented his bond with the organization because of how the process was handled.

“This organization treats every player the best way possible and I believe it’s a key element to it’s success,” he described.

The 6’1, 160-lb defenseman finished with 20 points in 29 games (7-13-20) and has anchored the defense in 68 games across two seasons. Head Coach/General Manager Steve Haddon believes that Fortin can elevate his game to another level headed into his final junior hockey season.

“Forts is poised to have a great season,” Haddon started.

“I know Forts has been working hard this off season and is focused and determined to put everything he has into his last year of junior hockey,” he concluded.

With the season right around the corner, Fortin is chomping at the bit to get started.

“I am looking forward to playing with the guys, going to the rink again, seeing the fans, and getting back to the grind right away,” he declared.

Entering their 10th season of existence, the Eagles have graduated over 100 players to college commitments in the United States (NCAA) and Canada (U-Sports), as well as professional contracts abroad. Eagles’ alumni dot the hockey landscape; playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), Poland and Sweden.

If you are a player that is interested in joining the Eagles organization for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, please email Coach Haddon at haddon@northerncoloradoeagles.com.