‘Was not anticipating that’: Mustangs’ captain Jared Pitman chosen league MVP
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YARMOUTH COUNTY, NS – South Shore Mustangs captain Jared Pitman was at school when he realized he had been named probably the most worthwhile participant within the Nova Scotia U18 Main Hockey League.
“My girlfriend despatched me an image on Twitter, after which after that I obtained a textual content from my coach,” stated the 16-year-old centre from Tusket in Yarmouth County.
Pitman first thought the award was for MVP of the Mustangs, however coach Ian Haverstock quickly congratulated him on being chosen MVP of your complete eight-team league.
“Oh, it was superb,” Pitman stated. “I used to be not anticipating that, in any respect. It was fairly thrilling to listen to. Nevertheless it wasn’t simply all me. My teammates helped me out.”
In his second 12 months within the U18 main league, Pitman was a drive on the ice and a presence within the dressing room because the Mustangs pushed their strategy to an 11-win common season and a sixth-place end, a marked enchancment after ending final the earlier two seasons.
His teammates have been equally happy about Pitman’s success and the group’s progress.
“We have been fairly pumped,” stated goaltender Graydon Mole, one of many Mustangs’ leaders on and off the ice. “It was a little bit of a shock as a result of South Shore is often on the backside of the pool. Jared deserved it, although.
“He took over for just a little bit. We have been in sixth place, however he was nonetheless first in (league) factors, beneath (Coen) Miller. It was spectacular. We had just a little tough patch there, however it didn’t cease Jared. I believe everybody relied on him a lot that just a little little bit of our workforce shut down for a bit.”
Pitman, a 2022 draft choice of the junior A Yarmouth Mariners and the most important junior Bathurst Titan, scored 20 targets and 46 factors in 34 video games with South Shore this season. He positioned eighth in league scoring.
The highest scorer was 55-point man Lane Lochead of Pictou County-based Weeks. Miller tied for fifth with 50 factors, regardless that he left the Cole Harbour Wolfpack at mid-season to play junior A with the South Shore Lumberjacks.
Pitman, who averaged 1.35 factors per sport, is acknowledged for his two-way play and competitiveness. The Mustangs respect that he preaches — and practises — honesty and accountability.
“Jared, on and off (the ice), has such a profitable mentality that he gained’t care about emotions,” Mole stated. “He’s attempting to make all people higher and play their hardest. He doesn’t wish to go down and not using a combat, actually.”
South Shore went up towards third-place Cole Harbour within the opening spherical of the playoffs, which have been set to start March 1. The Wolfpack anticipated a worthy problem from the Mustangs and captain Pitman, particularly.
“He has good imaginative and prescient arising the ice, so we’ve obtained to be careful for that,” stated Cole Harbour scoring chief Tyler Totten. “He can rating, additionally. He’s a very good offensive participant.”
Totten’s 52 factors left him tied with Halifax McDonald’s captain Bailey Shortall for second place in league scoring.
Cole Harbour’s second-leading scorer, Goran Stobo, echoed Totten’s sentiments on Pitman.
“He’s a very good participant,” stated Stobo, whose separated shoulder sidelined him for the opening of the playoffs. “He’s undoubtedly one of many guys that our workforce must maintain lined and actually discover when he’s on the ice so (we are able to) attempt to restrict what he can do, actually. He’s a sensible participant.”
Pitman, virtually five-foot-11 and 158 kilos, attributed his success this season to some modifications he made off the ice.
“I went to the gymnasium much more this 12 months through the hockey season,” he stated. “Final 12 months, I sort of slacked off and didn’t assume it could assist me through the 12 months. However this 12 months, I certain put within the work and it actually confirmed.”
For his sophomore season, Pitman additionally opted to billet within the Bridgewater space and attend highschool at Park View Training Centre, relatively than making the two-hour drive from his dwelling to Lunenburg County Life-style Centre a number of occasions every week.
“It helps so much, as a result of your legs aren’t useless,” stated Pitman, staying in Conquerall Financial institution with the household of former Mustangs defenceman Kyle Hopkins. “Whenever you solely stay 10 to fifteen minutes from a rink and you’ll really go to the gymnasium earlier than apply or go for a run earlier than apply, it actually helps.”
Whereas the transfer away from dwelling was “fairly arduous” initially, Pitman settled in as easily as he did on the ice.
“My household was all in for it and I see my household principally each weekend anyhow — they arrive to our video games — so it wasn’t that massive of a transfer this 12 months.”
Subsequent season, he hopes to step into the QMJHL with Bathurst or in any other case play within the Maritime Hockey League together with his hometown Mariners.
Yarmouth, the highest workforce within the MHL, is anticipated so as to add Pitman to its lineup as quickly as his U18 playoffs are completed this season.
“I believe I’ll be like the additional ahead (with the Mariners),” stated Pitman, who was known as up earlier this season. “Simply in case somebody will get damage, I’ll be leaping of their lineup every now and then in playoffs. It’ll be nice in the event that they go all the best way. You by no means know, you can get a championship ring and solely play with them in playoffs.”
Along with his return dwelling, Pitman plans to switch from Grade 11 at Park View to Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial Excessive College. Beforehand a scholar at Ecole secondaire de Par-en-Bas in Tusket, he can’t swap from an English faculty to a French faculty with a semester already in progress.
