Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Among the lessons mined out of MacEwan's hard fought first-round men's hockey playoff series against the UBC Thunderbirds last February, it's the requisite amount of grit needed to succeed when the chips are down.
Griffins head coach Zack Dailey only needed to look at the local recruiting pool to find exactly the type of player he's looking to add for these situations: Sherwood Park product Colin Doherty.
The 5-foot-11 forward brings an in-your-face style that will endear him to fans and teammates when he makes his debut with the Griffins next season.
"He is someone who brings sandpaper to our team," said Dailey. "He plays exceptionally hard. He finishes checks, is hard to play against and plays with a lot of emotion.
"Going back and watching our playoff series against UBC, the guys who played like that had a bunch of success in that series. So, bringing in someone who plays like that will help us.
"On top of that, he's got a scoring touch and can score goals," Dailey added. "That's something that was down a little bit with our forward group last year."
That's reflected in Doherty's stats from junior, which include 64 points and 212 penalty minutes in 98 games split between the AJHL and BCHL. The power forward finished his junior career with a flourish, going on a tear in his final few weeks spent with the Grande Prairie Storm in 2024-25.
"He lit it up," said Dailey. "I think he finished with 11 goals in 12 games or something like that."
That's correct, as Doherty produced 16 points in the Storm's final 12 contests of the regular season after coming over from the BCHL's Spruce Grove Saints.
He then added five goals and eight points in eight AJHL playoff games before leading the Storm in scoring at the Centennial Cup national championship earlier this month with six points in four games.
Doherty also played for the Storm in 2023-24, notching 38 points in 53 games. He's a longtime product of the Sherwood Park elite hockey system, while also playing for NAX in his youth.
Dailey noted he's played some centre but will likely slot in as a left wing with the Griffins.
"I think he's someone who will play an important role in creating energy for the group and being able to chip in offensively, as well."
