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Even if someone is not a hockey fan,
they have probably heard of Wayne Gretzky. It's difficult
not to know who "The Great One" is. So when
Bombers Defenseman Jim Baxter was growing up in
Brantford, Ontario, the same town that Gretzky grew up
in, you can believe he knew full well who "The Great
One" was. "I
started playing hockey when I was 4 years old. Growing up
in the same town as Gretzky, I idolized him and wanted to
be a great player just like him. My dad also played
hockey and he motivated me to get into the game,"
remembered Baxter.
Baxter played the last
three seasons with Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League.
Last year he had a tremendous season, playing 66 games
with 22 goals and 52 assists for 74 points. He is now
enjoying his first professional season of hockey and
loving every minute of it. "It feels good to be
playing professionally. Since I'm only 20, I could have
gone back to the OHL, but Dayton is a great place for me
to be right now. I scored a goal in my first game and
called my dad that night. He was very proud of me for
scoring my first professional goal," said Baxter.
Head Coach Greg Ireland is
also proud to have such a rising young star in the
Bombers midst. "Jim is a talented offensive player
with a heavy shot. He is a major factor in our games this
season. He continues to work hard and has improved his
foot speed tremendously," said Ireland.
Though he is only 20,
Baxter knows what it takes to win. "We won the OHL
championship my first season at Oshawa. It's important to
work hard so you can make it to the higher leagues. My
dream, like most players, is to make it to the NHL,"
remarked Baxter.
Until that dream comes
true, Baxter is glad to be playing in Dayton. "This
is a nice area and the fans are really supportive. We'd
always like to see more come out and hopefully that will
happen as the season goes on," said Baxter.
When he is not playing
hockey, Baxter enjoys playing golf, basketball, and
working out. He enjoys all types of movies and spending
time with his friends. When he retires from hockey, he
would like to have his own cottage and spend his days
fishing and golfing. "Just a little place where I
can relax," said Baxter.
Thank you, authors of
the Bombers' Flight Logs, for providing varied and
accurate information in each publication.
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