Another member of the 2006-07 South Delta Bantam A1 Storm hockey team has signed a professional contract, except this one has gone overseas.
Defenceman Spencer Humphries left for the Czech Republic last week where he will be suiting up in the coming Kontinental Hockey League season for HC Lev Praha.
Humphries becomes the fifth player from the storied Bantam Storm team to turn pro, joining Brendan Gallagher, Colton Jobke, Taylor Peters and Josh Nichols. All four of his former teammates are under contract with NHL clubs and Humphries hopes to one day follow suit with some European seasoning to help get him there.
After a solid career in the Western Hockey League, including the past three seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, Humphries received a tryout offer from the Vancouver Canucks and was on the verge of agreeing to terms with hometown NHL team when HC Lev Praha came along with a contract offer.
"All my focus was on getting ready for the Canucks (prospects camp) as that's where I really thought I was going to be," said Humphries from his
Tsawwassen home. "It was an all right first offer from (HC Lev Praha) that at least made me think about it. But when they came back with quite a bigger deal (with guaranteed money), the decision was pretty easy to make.
"I would have been playing in the (American Hockey League) or somewhere with the Canucks. This is just a different route playing at a higher level
that might have a backdoor to take me where I want to eventually be."
Once he signed his contact, Humphries scrambled to get up to speed on the KHL and what his lifestyle will be like in Prague. His main source for information was 30-year-old Regina native Nathan Oystrick, one of four Canadians on HC Lev Praha's roster last season.
"He had nothing but
good things to say about the experience," continued Humphries. "I will be living on my own in a one-bedroom place and spending a lot of free time hanging out with the other Canadian guys."
Humphries spent a season in the B.C. Hockey League with Westside before jumping to the Tri-City Americans. He was traded midway through the 2010-11 campaign to the
Hitmen where he became a mainstay on the blueline.
This past season he posted 38 points in 70 games and added 10 more points in the post-season as Calgary reached the conference final before falling to Alberta rival Edmonton in seven games.
"Those were three of the best years of my life in Calgary," he added. "Just a great organization to play for and a city to live in."
