Fans may have noticed a very big D-man in the Campbell River Storm exhibition line-up. 1999 born Matt Alcorn has been acquired from the KIJHL Summerland Steam for future considerations.

At 6’5” and 220 pounds, the young man from Kelowna is noticeable on the ice. “Matt was someone we’ve been interested in for some time; he’s a smooth skater, especially for his size, has a real hard shot and plays hard in the D-zone. We’re certainly excited to have him in our lineup,” says Storm Head Coach and General Manager, Lee Stone.

According to Stone, Summerland made Alcorn available at the end of last season and the VIJHL Champs jumped on that. “He came out for main camp, still trying to decide whether to play or go to University. He was excited by what he saw in this team and his teammates at camp; now he’s gung ho to play. That’s really a big two thumbs up for our program.”

Alcorn’s stats for last season indicate a player that may be more defensive than offensive (2 goals, 5 assists) but Tim Hogg, the voice of the Summerland Steam, feels the numbers may be a bit deceiving, “Matt makes a good first pass, ends up with just a few points but is in on a lot of scoring plays.”

Alcorn is an all-round athlete. In addition to having been a competitive swimmer, he is an elite Lacrosse player with two seasons of Junior under his belt in Kelowna and Maple Ridge (he AP’d with Nanaimo in the summer).

His goal for the hockey season is simply put, “I want to focus on improving as a player and help this team to win.”

The Campbell River Storm open the regular season on Friday against the Oceanside Generals.