FRASER, Mich. – A trio of Metro Jets forwards have been making an impact with the MJDP Team this season.
And all three – Shane Haggerty, Colin Day and Nick McDougall – are proud to wear the Jets colors on a daily basis.
“I ended up playing here this year because my high school coach (Grandville’s Joel Breazeale) is good friends with (Jets assistant) Coach Randy (Wilson) and after a successful high school year, Coach Randy asked me to come skate at the main camp and that’s where I learned about this program,” said Haggerty. “For the rest of this year, I hope we can build off the last two wins and go into the end of the season strong like we were before our rough patch that we had weeks prior.”
“’Haggs’ earned his opportunity to be here,” added Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville. “He’s a quiet kid but brings a positive attitude to the rink every day. He’s a big kid who can play all three positions up front and has really done well with his opportunities.”
Haggerty wants to go into sports management or athletic training later in life and hopes he can soon attend Western Michigan University or Grand Valley State University.
It’s his hope that a solid season with the Jets can help with those aspirations.
“The Jets organization provides anything you need to succeed including a gym, locker room and a 24/7 equipment manager on staff,” Haggerty said. “I can see why so many players want to be Jets.”
Day, an Anchor Bay High School grad (following former Jets forward-defenseman Trevor Momot), said he always followed the Jets during his high school days.
“I followed the success they have had but never had it crossed my mind that I could play on such a great team,” Day said. “I reached out to (Jets associate) Coach Jamie (Lovell) and asked him how to go about trying out for the team this upcoming season. From there, I attended their summer skates and workouts at the MAT and was determined that I wanted to be a part of this program.
“The first half of the season has had its ups and downs for me, but I have learned so much from the coaching staff and teammates. Now that the first half is over and the second half is upon us, it is only the ups from here on out. I want to continue to develop my game and keep putting in the work every day with my teammates. I believe that the hard work will pay off for us this season.”
From the start, Day has been enamored with what the Jets offer.
“The Jets organization is like no other I have ever been a part of,” Day said. “The coaching staff is so experienced and brings so much knowledge to table that it’s hard not want to be at the rink every day. From Day 1, they have invested all of their knowledge and dedication into you and your game. Their program is top-notch and provides you the best opportunity to invest in yourself as well. From the MAT training facility to the opportunity to be on the ice up to twice a day gives you the best odds to be a great hockey player and teammate.
“I enjoy being at the rink with all of my brothers day in and day out – it’s an experience like no other.”
“The guys love ‘Dayzer,’” Quenneville added. “He has a fun personality in the locker room and brings a good energy to the team. He’s got a heavy shot and has contributed some timely goals for the team this year. The goal is to continue to see him develop and benefit from this environment.”
Down the line, Day wants to stay on the ice as long as possible.
“I have quite a few goals that I hope to accomplish, not only in the near future, but also in the years to come, said Day. “My short-term goals would be to, of course, get a college scholarship to play hockey and pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. As far as a long-term goal goes, I want to take my hockey career as far is it takes me. My goal in life is to be the best version of myself I can be, day in and day out. If hockey does not work out for me, I hope to find a career in mechanical engineering as mentioned earlier.”
McDougall said he’s with the Jets this season for one reason – the opportunity to get better.
“I’ve known ‘Q’ since my Bantam years and he’s been my skills coach for a couple of years and with the great success that he’s had, I just made the decision to come to the main camp,” said McDougall, a Clinton Township native. “My goal that I want to accomplish here is to get an opportunity to play in Boston for a national title. I would be so honored and humbled for an opportunity like that.
“I have set minor goals for myself in that process to do whatever it takes to best help the team to get there. My main goal for myself is to work on the little situational things in the game because right now, I think that’s my personal biggest weakness.”
“I’ve known Nick for a long time and even though he’s an ‘01, on the ice you would never know,” noted Quenneville. “He loves the game and plays it hard on both sides of the puck. He’s coachable, committed to developing, and it’s shown this year where he can be a versatile player.”
McDougall said that being in a superb team atmosphere makes it easy to come to the rink each day.
“What the Jets are doing right now, to be honest, is making everyone buy in, in my opinion,” McDougall said. “There’s been a lot of success here in the past four years, there’s a great facility to work out here and we have probably one of the best coaching staffs here.
“Anyone who has ever been a part of this organization realizes that it doesn’t take much to buy in when you are surrounded with a great staff and an opportunity to further your hockey career.”
