The Chatham Maroons are adding a strong veteran presence and some serious firepower to their roster for the upcoming season.
Six of the last seven players the team committed to were born in 2001, but now, they've added one 19-year-old and three more 20-year-olds to their ranks.
The most recent acquisitions include Tilbury’s Nolan Gardiner, who is returning to Chatham-Kent after splitting last season with the Ottawa 67's (OHL) and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) before closing out the year with Caledonia (GOJHL).
In 17 games with the Corvairs, the 19-year-old centre racked up 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points. He added another seven goals and ten assists in 20 playoff games, helping to lead Caledonia to the Sutherland Cup final.
The team also added two of Gardiner's Corvairs teammates, 20-year-old right winger Sean O'Brien from London and 20-year-old centre Eddie Schulz from Erin, Ontario.
O'Brien played for the Quebec Remparts in 2015-16 and then split the 2016-17 season between the Remparts and the Val-d’Or Foreurs before joining the Corvairs last season. In 48 games with Caledonia, O'Brien finished seventh in the GOJHL scoring race with an impressive 27 goals and 45 assists for 72 points. O'Brien had another 8 goals and 18 assists in the playoffs for 26 points in 21 games.
Schulz played with the Peterborough Petes in 2015-16 and part of the 2016-17 season before heading to Caledonia. He played 40 games for the Corvairs last season, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points.
And to complement the scoring up front, the team is also adding a veteran presence on the blue line.
The fourth veteran player the Maroons recently committed to is 20-year-old defenceman Matthew Murray from Thessalon, Ontario.
Murray split last season between the Elmira SugarKings (GOJHL) and the Blind River Beavers (NOJHL).