FRASER, Mich. – Brady Hanson came to the Metro Jets this season with some junior hockey experience under his belt.
This season, though, the rugged 19-year-old defenseman is seeing his game grow seemingly at a daily rate.
“Before this season, I knew that the Metro Jets were a great organization,” said Hanson, a Northville native. “They have done very well the past few years, and that’s not possible without good ownership, coaches and players.”
Hanson explained how his introduction to the Jets came rather nonchalantly.
“I was getting some extra ice time this past spring with a former coach and I met (Jets assistant coach) Randy Wilson there,” explained Hanson. “He gave me his business card and invited me out to skate with the team. I took him up on his offer and really liked the practices.”
Fast forward several months, and Hanson feels the current season is “going great so far.”
“I feel that the coaching staff is doing a good job developing me as a hockey player, and I also think that my teammates make me better,” Hanson said. “From a team standpoint, we have very high standards that were set by previous Metro Jets teams. I think that we are focused on playing good hockey every time we step on the ice.
“My main goal is to win a team championship. We have all of the parts in place to make a good run at it. We need to keep practicing hard, develop into the best players we can be and hopefully, things will work out. Coach Q (coach-GM Justin Quenneville), (associate head coach) Jamie (Lovell) and Coach Randy are exceptional, and they will have us ready to compete for the championship.”
Born in Florida – and moving to Michigan in 2013 – Hanson was introduced to the game of hockey due to the steamy sunshine down south.
“I started playing hockey in Florida when I was seven years old,” explained Hanson. “My parents thought it was too hot watching me play soccer in Florida in August, so they took me to the rink to try playing hockey.
“Since then, I’ve never stopped playing.”
Quenneville said in Hanson, the Jets have a “team player” and “a gamer.”
“Brady came to us this summer and trained with us for a while,” said Quenneville. “We were able to identify his abilities quickly and help him continue to develop. He has a heavy shot and a good frame. He played junior hockey out East last season and struggled here in our division and league at first but has continued to improve his decision making and foot speed. He is starting to see the results pay off and needs to continue on this positive path.”
And in enjoying his time with the Jets, Hanson said the season has been one for the memory books.
“The Jets organization provides great opportunities,” said Hanson. “I’ve had the opportunity to get much better as a player through great coaching and great competition in practice against my teammates. I’ve had the opportunity to get faster and stronger at the gym. I’ve had the opportunity to get seen at the showcases in Chicago and Boston. Finally, I’ve had the opportunity to go to China to experience their culture and play hockey against Germany, Finland, Russia, Belarus and Latvia. How many people can say they’ve had an opportunity like that?
“Thanks to the Metro Jets, I have.”
Once his junior career concludes, Hanson has his eye on college – both for hockey and in the classroom.
“My long-term goals in hockey are to play in college and hopefully continue to play competitive hockey after that,” Hanson said. “I think that it would be a great life experience to play overseas, possibly in Europe. In school and life, I am interested in a career in law enforcement, so we’ll see.”
