By Omran Wahidy
Joining the Roughnecks already feels like a natural fit for Aden Walsh.
With several familiar faces and a younger roster in front of him, the 24-year old goaltender – acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Warriors in May – says the transition has been seamless.
“It’s been huge, obviously having guys you’re super close with there,” said Walsh. “Brayden Laity was also on the Warriors in the past, so it’s great to have those guys, but the Roughnecks, they have a great group to begin with. They mesh really well and I feel like I’ve I’ve fit in pretty well to that. So I’m excited to get going and get to know these guys a little better.
His confidence stems not only from some familiarity, but from the way this roster has been built.
“I’m very excited,” he explained. “I’ve played with a lot of these guys before. We’re super young and super quick, super fast. We’re going to be moving up the floor, pushing transition a lot and I just love how young and athletic we are this year.”
Walsh says the internal belief in themselves is strong.
“I don’t think as a team we’re too concerned about the turnover,” he explained. “We’re pretty happy with the guys we have in the locker room. As far as the season goes, we’re excited to chip away and bang out some wins.”
On a personal note, Walsh isn’t worried about individual accolades, but instead is focused on putting together a solid season as a team.
“As far as myself, I’m looking for some steady play, I’m not too concerned with my numbers, but I’m really looking forward to helping the team in any way I can,” he explained.
While Walsh prepares for his first season in Calgary, one final piece of his arrival is in the works … a brand-new mask.
“My mask guy in Ontario is painting it up as we speak, so hopefully it’s ready for this weekend,” he said. “If not, it’ll definitely be ready for week one, so I’m excited to get that going and get rid of the old one.”
With a fresh mask on the way and a fresh start in Calgary, Walsh knows the group has something to prove.
“I feel like we’re going into this season as underdogs and I’m really excited to surprise some people this year.”
