The Surrey Eagles have announced that veteran forward Derek Henderson will serve as the team's captain for the 2009-10 British Columbia Hockey League season. The second-year Eagle, who is currently recovering from injury, was pleasantly surprised by the announcement.
“I’m not going to be back playing for another month, so it was a surprise,” said Henderson, a Langley native. “It feels really good. It’s going to be quite the opportunity.”
While he is excited about earning the captain’s 'C', Henderson takes his new role seriously.
“A good captain. (has to be) a guy who works hard day in and day out, and leads by example,” said Henderson, “but is also always there for the guys when they need a pep talk, just a guy that you can turn to at any time.”
Eagles head coach Shane Kuss spoke about the coaching staff’s decision to give this responsibility to Henderson.
“He’s a team leader,” said Kuss. “He’s the type of guy who’ll do anything for his teammates and be there through the good times and the bad time. He’s a guy that’s great off the ice professionally, going and representing our team. He’s a great character kid, comes from a great family, and he’ll do a great job for us.”
The Eagles home opener takes place September 11 at the South Surrey Arena.
