January 20, 2012
MEET THE CAPTAINS IN THE OUA OUTDOOR CLASSIC: Chris Ray, Waterloo
HAMILTON, Ont. – Day three of the OUA Outdoor Classic captain profiles switches its focus to the leader of the Waterloo Warriors men’s squad, Chris Ray. The fifth year player has a lot of hockey experience to his name but brings a different perspective and appreciation for the unique opportunity to participate in the Outdoor Classic.
“I grew up in Kelowna, B.C. where winters are fairly mild compared to other parts of Canada. It was rarely cold enough to sustain an outdoor rink for the duration of winter. However, the odd time it would get cold enough, everyone would find the nearest frozen lake to go skate on. Because the opportunities to skate outdoors were so infrequent, the locals appreciated those rare chances and took advantage of every chance to go skate on the lake.”
Coming from that background, Ray never thought he would be playing in a game like the OUA Outdoor Classic, saying it is “more of a bonus than anything, and everyone on our team feels fortunate to get the chance to play in this game”.
The environment and business student has seen his fair share of success throughout his hockey career. Before making the move to Ontario, Ray played in the Western Hockey League for the Kelowna Rockets where he won a Memorial Cup in 2004 and finished his career with 154 points in four seasons. Upon his arrival at Waterloo he was named a co-winner of the Jim Nickleson Award as the Warriors Rookie of the Year and has since been named a three-time OUA first-team all-star, MVP of the team three consecutive years, and an Academic All-Canadian four times. Last winter Ray added international experience to his resume as he was named an assistant captain of Team Canada at the University Games in Erzurum, Turkey and helped lead Canada to a bronze medal.
Aside from the excitement surrounding Sunday’s game, Ray and his teammates understand they need to stay focused to pick up the victory. “I don’t think many teams adjust strategies to different arenas they play in but more so on the team they are playing against. Our games against Brock have been very competitive over the years. They are a great team this year and definitely played well in our last meeting. Our team wasn’t very happy with our effort in our last game against Brock so I expect a better effort from us on Sunday.”
In terms of handling the natural environment, Ray hopes the weather will mimic the comfort of his hometown conditions as he joked, “I’m not as accustomed to really cold weather as some of the Ontario or Prairie guys. I’m definitely hoping for fairly mild temperatures, otherwise I might request a personal heater on the bench”.
The OUA Outdoor Classic begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 22 at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Tickets will be on sale beginning at noon at the Beechwood gates. Adult tickets cost ten dollars while students can gain entry for five dollars.
Stay tuned to OUA.ca for more player profiles, previews, and recaps of the OUA Outdoor Classic.
