By Matt Stefano
Gibby is joining the Bird nest!
The Soo Thunderbirds have announced on Wednesday that they have signed 2005-birth-year defenceman Andrew Gibson for the upcoming season.
Gibson, who is from La Salle, Ontario, stands 6’2 and weighs 195 pounds.
“It feels great to have the opportunity to play junior hockey in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Gibson. “I know there is a lot of professional hockey experience within the ownership group and the coaching staff and I’m looking forward to developing as a hockey player and learning from them.”
The La Salle, Ontario native spent the 2019-2020 season with the Windsor Zone Junior Spitfires Under-15 hockey club, where he had 11 goals and 28 points in 32 games.
“Our team had a great year and we had the best regular season record in the Alliance. We had a great group of guys who bonded well together and worked hard to be successful,” said Gibson.
In 2020, Gibson also helped the Spits win the Alliance Under-15 championship.
“It was great to put Windsor AAA on the map, because we are usually overlooked,” said Gibson. “Our team came a long way in two years to win that championship.”
During the 2019-2020 season, Gibson also suited up for one game with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires Under-16 club.
“The speed of that game was quicker and it was good to have the opportunity to play against older players,” said Gibson.
This past June, the 16-year-old was also drafted in the 4th round (67th overall) by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2021 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
“As soon as I saw my name called by the Greyhounds, I was very excited to have been chosen to be apart of their organization,” said Gibson.
In the last four seasons, the Thunderbirds have developed three Soo Greyhound draft picks that have moved up to the Hounds, including Robert Calisti, Tyler Savard and Connor Toms.
“We are really excited to welcome Andrew and his family to our program,” said Soo Thunderbirds general manager Jamie Henderson. “With him being a fairly high selection of the Greyhounds, we understand his sights are set on pushing on a spot with them. However, we have had some great discussions to allow Andrew to have a great opportunity should a spot not open up with the Hounds. By all accounts, he is a very driven young man who brings great qualities both on and off the ice and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the Soo next month.”