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New title for former local hockey player

Terrace’s Chapen Leblond will be leading the Winkler Flyers this year as the newly-appointed captain for the team.
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Here is Chapen Leblond during an amazing performance with the Winkler Flyers where he scored a hat trick in the third period of the game

Terrace’s Chapen Leblond will be leading the Winkler Flyers this year as the newly-appointed captain for the team.

Calling it an honour, the 20-year-old forward says he is pretty excited to be playing the role.

Head coach Ken Pearson said the team went through training camp and exhibition games before choosing the best four guys to lead the squad.

“He is a guy that brings a combination of skill, speed and toughness,” Pearson said, adding Leblond is a good leader in the dressing room.

The Flyers are based in southern Manitoba and are a part of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is on par with the B.C. Hockey League.

Chapen started out his season with a bang, nabbing a hat trick during the game one opener on Sept. 17 against the Steinbach Pistons where the Flyers won 7-4.

“We were actually tied going into the third and he scored a hat trick to lead us to victory,” said Pearson, who expects Leblond to be in the top 10 for scoring in the league this season.

Currently, the Flyers are holding onto their winning streak with four consecutive wins and no losses this season to date.

“We have a pretty good squad this year, I hope this winning streak keeps going,” Leblond said.

As a Terrace local, Leblond graduated the rep circuit with the Terrace Minor Hockey Association (TMHA) before moving on to play for Prince George’s Cariboo Cougars.

Current River Kings head coach, Roger Tooms, coached Leblond during some of his time with the TMHA.

“Chapen is very competitive and always brought his best to every game. He is an asset to his team and leads by example through his natural talent and work ethic,” Tooms said, adding he hopes Leblond continues to excel and go on to play at higher levels.

He adds that he is looking forward to the day Leblond returns to Terrace and joins the River Kings.

“I jokingly asked him earlier this year and he replied ‘Rog, not yet I’m having too much fun,’” Tooms said.

Leblond came to the Flyers in a trade with the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the BCHL in 2009.

Not including the games from this year, he has accumulated 103 points in 118 games played with the Winkler Flyers.

He was the MVP of the team last season as well as MVP of the MJHL all star game.

Leblond has been playing with the Flyers for three years now and says its been a pretty cool experience.

Terrace’s Ben Reinbolt is also on the team, enjoying his first year with the flyers.