Nelson Home Building Centre Leafs Player Profile of the Week — Nolan Percival
By The Nelson Daily Sports
When Nolan Percival heard Nelson won the right to host the 2014 Cyclone Taylor Cup, his eyes lit up.
What better way to showcase his talents for scouts than at the B.C. Junior B Hockey Championship.
So the Nelson native took to the workout routine to prepare himself for the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League training camp of the Green and White.
The rest, as they say, is history as Percival earned a spot on the roster as one of the two 16-year-olds.
As the Leafs build toward the April tournament, The Nelson Daily.com, in conjunction with Nelson Home Building Centre presents the Leafs Player Profile of the Week.
This week we take a look at Nelson Minor Hockey grad Nolan Percival.
The shifty Percival has played in all but one of the Leafs 31 games, scoring four goals while adding four assists.
Percival will be front and center when Nelson meets Castlegar in a home-and-home series beginning Thursday in the Sunflower City.
The teams return to the NDCC Arena Friday for game two of the set.
Nelson Home Building Centre Leafs Player Profile of the Week
Name: Nolan Percival
Age: 16
Born: Nelson, BC
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 150 pounds
Years in Hockey: 12
Hometown: Nelson, BC
Favorite NHL Player: Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
Favorite NHL Team: Vancouver Canucks
Favorite Music: All music
Pre-Game Meal: Mid-day – spaghetti meal, pre-game – salad
Biggest accomplishment in hockey: Won BC Cup U16 Championship 2013
School: L.V. Rogers
Grade: 11
Nickname: Percy
Facebook or Twitter: Twitter
Other interests: Soccer in summer, golf, biking, anything outdoors
The Nelson Daily: Being 16, what convinced you to play for Leafs instead of Major Midget with Kootenay Ice?
Nolan Percival: I got to say playing for the Leafs, with the team hosting the Cyclone Taylor Cup, is a pretty big deal. So I put the work this summer so I could make this team and being able to make the team as a 16-year-old, I was pretty excited. But what convinced me was I thought this was a better choice for my family and I.
TND: How big is it to play for a team you grew up watching and cheering for?
NP: It’s pretty weird, for sure. Some of these players I grew up watching. I was 12-13 years old I grew up watching them and now I’m playing with them, so it’s pretty cool.
TND: Half way through the season, with the ice time your receiving, do you still agree with your decision to play for the Leafs?
NP: What it comes down to is everyone has a role on this team. So to make a team win, you’ve got to play your role to the best of your ability . . . . The scorers are going to score, the hitters are going to hit and what it comes down to is I’m learning a different way to play the game which is going to make me a better hockey player in the end.
TND: What’s it like to be a teammate of a player with the ability of KIJHL veteran Jamie Vlanich?
NP: Just the way Jamie conducts himself on the ice he just makes it look so easy. Jamie works hard both on and off the ice and just watching him play make me just want to get better.
TND: Nelson is host team for the 2014 Cyclone Taylor Cup. How important is it for this team want to win its way into the tournament?
NP: We know we’re host team and we get a bye into the tournament but that doesn’t mean much to us. We really want to make it there on our own. That means a lot to every player on this team.
TND: What are your goals for next year?
NP: I want to try our for Junior A and see what happens there but the main thing is I want to keep all my options open.
TND: In five years?
NP: I definitely want to be playing for a college team. So if I could pull off a college scholarship that would be the dream.
TND: In 10 years?
NP: Playing hockey and loving life.
