THUNDER BAY – Jonathon Masters attempted to make the Lakehead Thunderwolves last fall as a walk-on.
He had to wait eight months, but he’s finally been added to the roster.
The OUA men’s hockey team on Monday announced the six-foot, 200-pound Masters, who played this past season for the Thunder Bay North Stars, will join the team’s blue-line this fall.
“I watched a lot Thunderwolves games while I was growing up, and now I'll be on the ice as one of the pack,” he said in a release issued by the team.
“It's a great opportunity and a challenge to play at the university level. I hope to contribute as a gritty defenceman who takes care of his own end, but also feels comfortable jumping into the play.”
The 21-year-old began his junior career in 2012-13 with the North Stars and Sioux Lookout Flyers, playing six scoreless games.
He jumped to the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves in 2014-15, finishing the campaign with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques, combining for a goal and eight assists in 54 appearances.
Masters toiled one more season with the Olympiques, adding another nine points in 66 games, before returning for an over-age year with the North Stars in 2016-17, where he scored eight goals and collected 18 assists in 38 games.
"He’ll be a big part of our defensive unit,” fourth-year coach Bill McDonald said in the release. “I like the experience he gained playing in the major junior leagues, plus he showed that he has some offensive skill with the North Stars last season. I think he has great character and I’m looking forward to coaching him.”
