Moving away in pursuit of an on-ice dream
Pryor Stacey signed with the Cleveland Barons U16 Elite program to try to get himself noticed as a prospect. Courtesy Mike Stacey
Kahnawa’kehró:non goalie Pryor Stacey will be heading down south next hockey season, as he signed on to go play for the Ohio-based Cleveland Barons U16 Elite development team in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL), the top amateur league in the United States.
Stacey, 16, played with the U17 AAA Chateauguay Grenadiers this past season, and also participated in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships with Team Eastern Door and the North.
He said the reason why he’s leaving Quebec for hockey is to help his career advancement by getting noticed by Junior teams, something he did not feel was happening in the province.
“I haven’t really been getting seen by many Junior teams. So going to Cleveland is more of like a fresh start for me to try to get seen by my more Junior teams and more teams out there for the future,” said Stacey.
Players who play in the T1EHL are eligible to be drafted by United States Hockey League (USHL) team, the top Junior hockey league solely comprised of American teams, as well as the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in Canadian Major Junior.
“I really want to get my name out there quickly, and have a lot of people get to know me and my playing style,” said Stacey.
He said that he and his family visited the Barons’ facilities in Cleveland, as well as the suburb of Cleveland he would be staying in, Brecksville, and they were thoroughly impressed.
“It’s just a super nice town, very clean, really quiet and safe,” said Stacey.
“Also, the arena is actually owned by the team, so there’s no figure skating or other minor hockey there, it’s only the Barons that are playing there, so we could get as much ice time as possible whenever we want. That was a really big thing for me.”
While Stacey is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, he is feeling a little nervous of being so far away from home.
“It’s big, the adjustment of getting away from my family now, my dad, my mom, they’re a really big part of my hockey career,” said Stacey.
“My friends too, but I’m really excited to get to know new people and make new friends and have a good season with them.”
Mike Stacey, Pryor’s dad, is excited for his son, too.
“It’s a new opportunity, and a new look. It will obviously be a change for him leaving, being away from home and his family. But, we’re looking forward to what it can bring to him and see how far he can go with it,” said Mike.
According to the Barons, the program boasts more than 180 NCAA Division I alumni as well as two dozen players drafted by NHL teams, including 2014 first-round pick and current Washington Capital Sonny Milano, 2014 third-round pick and current San Jose Shark Alex Nedeljkovic, and 2024 third-round pick A.J. Spellacy, who signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in January of this year.
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“They really like to take care of their kids, and they really develop a lot of pro guys that are on the alumni wall. There’s a bunch there. So, it’s a really good program for development,” said Pryor.
