Former Cochrane Generals defenceman Will Gretton has joined the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Trojans Men's hockey team. The 21-year-old Gretton played the last two seasons in Cochrane, suiting up in 61 regular season games where he scored three goals and added 24 assists for 27 points while playing mostly in a shut down role against the opposition's best players. Gretton also showed up in the big moments for Cochrane, playing in 20 playoff games where he scored a total of six goals and eight assists for 14 points. The highlight of Gretton's Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) career came in the first round of the playoffs last season when the stay-at-home-defenceman potted three goals in a 6-4 Generals Game 3 win over the Medicine Hat Cubs on Feb. 18 pushing Cochrane to the next round of the HJHL playoffs. He also helped the Generals reach the league finals and win a provincial silver medal in his first season in red and blue. The Trojans hockey team plays in the Alberta College Athletic Conference (ACAC) a league known for its competitive play. The ACAC has established itself as the preeminent college athletic conference in Canada, fostering a rich tradition of excellence. It all began in 1964 when the founding organization and predecessor to the ACAC, the Western Inter-College Conference (WICC), came into existence with a mandate to regulate, coordinate and promote activities in two major areas - athletics and fine arts. Gretton said he's relishing the chance to be able to continue playing the sport he loves at a high level. "I'm technically considered a walk-on instead of a signee. It's a pretty big jump for me with the team being filled with former Junior A and Western Hockey League (WHL) players so it's exciting for me to just get to this point," Gretton said. "I knew coming in that tryouts for me was really a make it or you're done playing hockey type scenario, so I put in a lot of work in the gym this summer and I'm just glad to see all that effort paying off." Gretton said he wouldn't have cracked the Trojans roster had he not spent the last two seasons improving with the Generals. "In my first year, I had three coaches that I can't give enough praise to. Dan (Gendur), Jeff (Gagnon) and Kyle (Finch) really made me fall back in love with the sport and gave me every opportunity possible to succeed," Gretton said. "This past season the defence coach, Travis McMillan, really pushed me to become a much more well-rounded player and gave me a lot of knowledge he learned from his time coaching at the CIS (now known as USports) level." "The Generals organization is very professional and every individual I've came across within it had a desire to win. I don't think I could have had a better time wearing the Generals crest on my chest." The former General added he has some goals set for this upcoming season with his new team. "The coaches and I went over how I need to become stronger and faster, so my biggest goal is just to be confident and comfortable playing at this level and to do so as quickly as possible," said Gretton. "I went to SAIT last year while I was playing with the Gens so I know about the commitment it will be to balance studies and athletics. Of course going into second year, and having almost double the ice times over the course of the year, the overall commitment from me will need to be much higher." "On the ice it's an immediate difference, the guys are much bigger and faster. Plus there's a lot more travel involved when you play in the ACAC, so I think that the biggest difference is the overall commitment to the time I will put in at the library as well as on the ice." Gretton and his Trojan teammates will drop the puck on the new season on Oct. 5 against the Portage College Voyaguers.
