Marty Westhaver grew up idolizing the Victoria Salsa and Grizzlies, now he is one.
The 17-year-old forward was signed by the B.C. Hockey League club on Sunday, about 13 years after he first started attending team practices as his mom, Mena Westhaver, taught power skating lessons to teams of the past.
“I’m pumped. Totally excited,” said Marty, who had a solid rookie season as a 16-year-old with the Peninsula Panthers of the VIJHL before breaking his collarbone late in the season last year. “I can’t wait. Ever since I was little, coming out with mom, watching her teach and then coming out to skate.
“I don’t remember all the names, but I remember Jordie [Benn], Jamie [Benn], Tyson Barrie, Tyler Bozak and growing up adoring all those guys. I’m pretty proud of being in the same room they were in.”
As is his mom of her eldest son’s accomplishments so far.
“It started with the Victoria Salsa. I have some really vivid memories, which are pretty cool, of Marty at age four coming and sitting on the bench and he would watch me work with the team and he would always teach the last drill,” she said.
“I don’t know why, but he would always pick scoops [a heel-to-toe motion drill]. Of course, the players out there would always stay behind him so he would always win. It’s pretty neat to see it come full circle and Marty get his chance,” added Mena, who with husband Norm also have Andy, 15; Jack, 13; and Jake, 10, involved in hockey.
“It’s fabulous. Whenever we see anyone aspire to reach their goals and move forward, you’re happy for them,” said Mena, who has seen her pupils like the Benns, Bozak, Kyle Greentree and Brian Nugent move on to pro hockey, just to name a few. “Now it’s just a bonus that it happens to be our child. I’ve got to watch a lot of my players move on and it just warms your heart knowing they’ve worked so hard.”
Which also describes Marty, who will sit out tonight’s exhibition game in Nanaimo, but suit up in the final one Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Sooke against the Clippers.
“For him to come into camp, right away we recognized he was ready for this level,” said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon. “For a kid that can skate that well at his age, as well as shoot the puck as well as he does in stride the way he does, I think he’s going to have a good season for us — a good few seasons for us.”
And Marty has proved he belongs with four goals and two assists in three pre-season games.
“Certainly the competition hasn’t quite been Junior-A calibre, and we all understand that, but he’s stepped ahead of the rest and put the puck in the net on a regular basis,” said Didmon. “He had a natural hat trick last weekend between the two games. The last two on Friday and the first on Saturday and when he scored on the first shift, I said, ‘OK, it’s time.’ He’s certainly shown that he can play and be a productive player.”
And nothing pleases Marty more.
“I definitely thought I had a shot, but when I was injured at the end of last year, I thought it might hold me back,” he said. “I think everyone else thought it might, too, but I had a good summer in the gym and working out in Parksville [where they have a cabin]. I think that helped me improve my skills of and on the ice.”
He was injured Feb. 5 and missed the last five games of the regular season and playoffs.
“Before that it was one of the best years I’ve had. This will be another big jump and I hope I can rise to it,” said Westhaver, who was also invited to Victoria Royals camp, but turned that down after accepting the Grizzlies’ offer.
IN THE DEN: Didmon recently shipped 20-year-old Alex Peck to West Kelowna for a player development fee and his younger brother, Adam Peck, who was at Grizzlies’ camp the last two years, is also in West Kelowna on a tryout. … The Grizzlies need to release two forwards and three are not signed in Cory Hatcher, Jordan Guiney and Nolan Welsh.
