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Collingwood-born Blues player skating into family's hockey legacy

Will Redick is the second of his name to wear a Blues jersey, his grandfather helped start the first Collingwood Blues in the 60s

When the Collingwood Blues step onto the ice for their first home game of the season Saturday, Will Redick will be taking in the local support just as his grandfather once did under the same team name.

Wearing an A and the number 89 on his jersey, Redick takes the ice as a right-winger or center, and is one of the Blues' lead point scorers this season. 

The Collingwood-born athlete is part of a family legacy of hockey in Collingwood. His grandfather, Bill Redick, for whom Will is named, was president and co-founder of the first iteration of the Collingwood Blues junior hockey team that began in 1969. Redick’s hockey career and work to form the first Collingwood Blues landed him in the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame among the list of the 2020 inductees.

The senior Redick is a bit of a family stats keeper, able to sound off the details of his children’s and grandchildren’s success on and off the ice. 

“There’s a lot of hockey in the whole family,” said Bill Redick (senior). “Will’s brother plays for the Penetang Kings, his father played for the University of Detroit, his cousin Morgan Sly played for the Princeton Tigers, her grandfather, Darryl Sly played for the Leafs and two other NHL teams.”

Redick watches his grandchildren play whenever there’s a local game, and he likes to keep the pressure on to make sure they play hard. 

“Will is an excellent playmaker and a very fast skater, and he’s a great goal scorer,” said Bill. “He handles the puck well, and he’s good at centre ice taking the face-offs. He has a lot of great attributes.” 

The junior Redick prefers to use fewer words for his on-ice performance. 

“I’ve been playing pretty well this season, and I just want to keep it going,” said Will. 

In the last 32 games, Redick has netted 10 goals and 14 assists, and he’s among the team’s top points scorers. 

“It’s really special for me to be playing here just because of my family’s background in Collingwood,” said Redick, who now lives in Nottawa.  “I just grew up loving the game. I don’t know what I would do without it.” 

Will Redick started playing hockey as a child for his hometown team, the Wasaga Stars. He played in Innisfil and made Triple ‘A’ in Orillia where he played for the North Central Predators until he was 16 years old. He then moved into Junior C, then B, and joined the Collingwood Blues (then the Collingwood Colts) for the inaugural 2019/20 season. 

Last year when the season was lost to COVID shutdowns, Redick played in the US. 

“For the guys who stayed, it was tough,” said Redick. “You kind of just had to find ice where you could and stay in shape. I know that was really hard for all of us. It still is hard, even with the pause last month.” 

Redick said there’s a good outdoor rink in Singhampton and he skated there nearly every day during the most recent shutdowns, which prevented the Blues from training on the ice together. 

“I know, being back now, the guys aren’t going to take that lightly,” said Redick. “We’re going to play like it could be our last game.” 

Now 20 years old, Redick is playing his final year of junior hockey and hoping for a scholarship next year so he can play NCAA. 

As one of the oldest players on the team, Redick said he takes a quiet leadership role as one of the “older ones” on the roster. 

“I don’t say much in the dressing room, I’m kind of quiet,” said Redick. “I try to lead by example on the ice … as a 20-year-old I have to be a leader out there, so I play with that leader mentality. It’s something special for me because I wasn’t that player a couple of years ago, so having that opportunity is super cool and something I don’t take for granted.” 

So far, one of Redick’s favourite hockey memories is playoff games at the Eddie Bush Arena during his first season with the Blues (then Colts). The stands were packed with a sold-out crowd. 

“That’s what separates Collingwood from the rest of the league, our fanbase is huge for this league,” said Redick. “That first year was fantastic. Having a hockey team here, I think it was one of the best things that’s ever happened for Collingwood.” 

Redick said the team has a good chance of making a playoff run again this year, and he hopes to help score some points to get them there. 

He credits his on-ice success to the team and coaching staff. 

“All the guys believing in me … the opportunities I get are because of my coach and teammates who create them for me,” said Redick. 

The Blues will play their first home game of 2022 in the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. against Markham. 

The home team will be wearing Shipbuilders uniforms as a nod to one of Collingwood’s historic hockey teams. Tara Colley, whose father Tom Colley played for the Shipbuilders, will be dropping the puck. 


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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