Penticton, B.C: The Penticton Vees are excited to announce 2000-born defenceman Trevor Isaksson has committed to the Vees full time for the 2018-19 season.
Isaksson, from North Delta, has spent the past two seasons with the Valley West Hawks in the British Columbia Major Midget League. He totalled 19 goals and 35 assists in 76 games.
The 6’2”, 194-pound defenceman had a banner season in 2017-18, leading the league in defensive scoring with 14 goals and 22 assists in 36 games. He was named to the BCMML All-Star Team as a result.
Isaksson also served as the Hawks captain during last season.
His name may be familiar to Vees fans as Isaksson suited up for four games as an affiliate with the Vees last season.
Vees play-by-play broadcaster Craig Beauchemin caught up with Iskasson for this feature story.
Trevor Isaksson was pretty nervous before his first game with the Penticton Vees November 10 against the Vernon Vipers, but according to him, that’s how he’s always been.
“I’m usually a bit of a nervous player,” Isaksson admitted. “I used to get nervous over who was watching, and not wanting to make any mistakes. But I overcame that this season and played with a lot of confidence. I told my team this was our year and they helped me have a successful season.”
Isaksson was named captain of the Valley West Hawks Major Midget team for 2017-18 and lead by example. His 14 goals and 36 points led the league amongst defenders in both categories, and he was the only defender to average a point per game. He was named as a league All-Star as a result.
“I didn’t think that’s the kind of season I was going to have, but I was hoping for it,” Isaksson said. “[The captaincy] didn’t really change my thinking process. It was a nice thing to have but I knew I just needed to keep doing what I do best.”
While his offensive game exploded this past season, Isaksson says he tries to lead on the ice with his physical play, but also by being an energetic character inside the locker room.
After suiting up for his first game in November, Isaksson joined the team again for their Island road trip at the beginning of December and played in the second game against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He nearly found the back of the net that night too.
“I think once I got that puck in my stick I was almost scared to take the shot,” he said with a laugh. “But once I shot it I calmed down a lot. After the first few shifts I knew I just had to play my game and I would fit in.”
While he wasn’t able to hit the scoresheet in any of his four games with the Vees, Isaksson says his time as an affiliate helped him make up his mind on where to play during the upcoming season.
“I felt like the Vees were a really close family,” Isaksson said. “I got to know the coaches and I knew I’d fit in there well. I wanted to keep my NCAA eligibility open.”
When it comes to his style of play, Iskasson says he hopes to be known as a tough defenceman who will always look to make the physical play, but can also start the breakout with passes from his defensive end.
Of course, Isaksson knows the work to be an impact player doesn’t start during training camp, but rather ever since his midget season ended.
“I think my cardio is where it needs to be, but I want to work on lifting a lot of weights,” Isaksson said of his summer training regime. “I feel like I need to gain a lot of muscle to compete with the older and stronger players.”
