MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – After three seasons of high-quality development with the Metro Jets, Brayden Tayles is moving on to the college hockey game.
Tayles, a 2000 birth year forward who served as captain this past year for the MJDP team, will stay in-state next fall as he’ll attend and play hockey at Concordia University in Ann Arbor.
“I started talking with the coaches around mid-season, and I just stayed in contact with them through the end of the season,” said Tayles, a Waterford, Mich., native. “I have always been interested in the program. Anthony Crews, a good buddy of mine who played for the Jets last season, also committed to Concordia last year and I have received a lot of good information from him. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the program, so the decision was easy for me.
“It’s going to be exciting joining a whole new group of guys next season, all while getting back into the classroom. I’m pumped to start, and I just hope for a smooth transition into the next step of my hockey career.”
Tayles plans on studying Criminal Justice in college.
An alternate captain in 2019-20, Tayles earned the ‘C’ for the 2020-21 season and registered seven goals and 28 points in 44 games during the regular season, in addition to one goal in six USPHL playoff games.
Overall, Tayles recorded 15 goals and 61 points in 129 regular-season games in Jets colors, plus three goals and five points in 13 post-season games.
Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell and coach-GM Justin Quenneville said watching Tayles’ game evolve since 2018 was a pleasure to watch.
“We couldn’t be more excited for Brayden,” said Lovell. “Over the past three years, it has been a pleasure to watch him develop into a very good hockey player, but more importantly, a fine young man. Concordia is lucky as they are not only getting a good hockey player for the program but a good person. He was a huge part of our leadership group this past season and a big reason to why we had so much success and fell one game short of competing in the national championship final. We wish Brayden all the best, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing him this summer as he continues to train with us at The MAT to prepare himself for college hockey and life as a student athlete.”
“Brayden deserves everything he worked for,” added Quenneville. “We were able to watch him grow on and off the ice the past three years and his development not only earned him his captaincy this year, but his opportunities at the next level. He’s a consummate leader and hard worker who we can’t wait to watch at the college level. This is what our program is about, and we wish him all the best at Concordia.”
Tayles noted that playing for the Jets program was instrumental for his game.
“No matter the circumstances, it was always a player-first environment,” Tayles said. “The No. 1 goal was always to prepare the players for the next level of hockey. From Day 1 working with the coaches, I started building habits and skills that are crucial for the next level and for that, I am grateful.”
This past season, the MJDP went to the USPHL National Tournament for the first time, winning two of its three games in the round robin.
“This season was great despite, of course, not having the ending that we desired,” said Tayles. “To go out one win short of a national championship semifinal game stings, but as a team, we fought until the very end and that’s all you can ask for as someone playing my final junior season.
“There was a lot of things learned this season and a whole bunch of lifelong memories and friendships to go with it so for me, that’s a win in itself.”
Tayles also has an extensive list of those people he wants to thank when reaching this milestone in his life.
“I would like to thank my mom and dad for always supporting me through every journey the sport of hockey has taken me on,” said Tayles. “I would also like to thank my Nana, brother and sister for spending countless hours in the hockey rink watching me play. I would also like to thank my Jets coaches Q, Jamie, Dan (Pszenyczny), Tina (Ciraulo) and Randy (Wilson) for always having my best interest in mind and helping bring my game to a higher level. Thank you to (Jets owner) Pete Cammick for spoiling us as players and supplying a great environment to play in. Thank you to all my teammates and previous coaches.
“Lastly, thank you to everyone with the Metro Jets organization that helps make it such an amazing organization to represent.”
For the summer months, Tayles said he plans to get on the ice and in the gym as much as possible to stay in game shape for the upcoming college hockey season.
