By Josh Brown | Record Reporter
Waterloo Region Record
Fri., June 19, 2020
WATERLOO — Adam Soos wasn’t expecting the call.
After all, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League season is about two months away and the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins defenceman is back home in Barrie.
So, when Siskins coach Mike McIlveen touched base last week, he didn’t think much about it.
“I just thought he was calling to see how things were going,” said Soos.
As it turned out, McIlveen had big news. Despite uncertainty about when the upcoming season will be able to begin, the bench boss is already gearing up for it and wants Soos to be the face of the franchise.
“He said the reason he was calling is that he was making me captain,” he said. “It’s a great honour. I’m looking forward to being able to help lead my team.”
Soos came up in Barrie minor hockey and played Under-18 shinny for the York Simcoe Express before joining the Siskins last year.
The defensive defenceman had one goal and 16 assists in 50 games for the Siskins, who finished in sixth place in the GOJHL’s midwestern conference. The season came to an abrupt halt in March when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports leagues.
The 19-year-old was a captain on teams growing up and an alternate this past season for the Siskins, so he has a good feel for the job.
To Soos, a captain is someone who is good on and off the ice. A team player. A guy who is there for his club and helps relay messages between coaches and players. A role model who doesn’t make the team or players look bad. A good guy, who is positive.
“I try to be those things as much as I can,” he said. “I try to lead by example. It’s my strong suit. I always try to do what I think is right.”
It’s a worthy choice for the 2018-19 Sutherland Cup champions, who plan on reasserting themselves as contenders this season.
McIlveen said it was an easy choice.
“It’s the little things he does that stood out,” said the skipper. “Like cleaning up the team bus or picking up pucks after practice. Those are little things, but important to us.”
Soos’ positive attitude when facing adversity and quiet lead-by-example style also factored into the Siskins’ decision.
For now, he’s working at a swimming pool company by day in Barrie and staying in shape with his dad, Mike, brother, Trevor, and sister, Amber, in the family’s home gym during his free time.
And with more than half of last year’s Siskins squad returning, as of now, and some key recruits coming in, he’s excited for what lies ahead.
“We’ll be more experienced this season,” he said. “We started off bad last year and got a lot better as the season went on and I think that’s going to carry over.”
Waterloo native Tyson Hillier was named an alternate captain while the rest of the Siskins’ leadership group will be determined later in the summer, according to the team.
