Dalhousie men’s hockey head coach Chris Donnelly is pleased to announce the commitment of Jake Barter, Connor Welsh and Ashton Anderson to the Tigers 2018-19 lineup.
A 6’2 defenceman, Jake Barter spent three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), before finishing his junior career in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL). He spent the 2014-15 season with the Victoriaville Tigres, playing in 62 games. After starting the 2015-16 campaign with the Tigres, he joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to finish out the year.
The following season, he started with the Charlottetown Islanders before joining the Gatineau Olympiques in their playoff run. In his three seasons, he played an average of 62 regular season games, accumulating an average of 15 points and 43 penalty minutes per year.
Barter joined the Amherst Ramblers last season, earning 28 points with seven goals and 21 assists in 42 games as an assistant captain, while leading them into the second round of the playoffs.
“I am extremely proud and grateful to have the opportunity to be a student-athlete at Dalhousie,” says Barter. “Coming home to be a student at such an amazing school with a focus on athletics and academics leaves me with huge comfort and excitement for the future.”
A native of Hammonds Plains, N.S., Barter is currently enrolled in Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Management program.
“Jake possesses great offensive versatility who can play both defence and forward,” says Donnelly. “After three years in the Quebec League, Jake finished his junior career in a leadership role with Amherst as an assistant captain and we are looking forward to his addition to our program.”
Joining Barter on the defensive end is Halifax native, Connor Welsh.
Welsh played the 2015-16 season with the Stanstead College Spartans, accumulating 43 points in 68 games played. After graduating in 2016, he joined the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Junior A Hockey League (BCHL) where he earned 21 points in 57 games. He started the 2017-18 season with the Bulldogs before being traded in January to the Trail Smoke Eaters, helping them into the third round of the playoffs. Between the two teams, he earned 34 points in 56 regular season games.
“I’m extremely excited to be able to play hockey and further my education at Dalhousie,” says Welsh. “Being a local guy, I’ve known about the school my entire life and I’m thrilled to be able to play hockey at home once again.”
The 5’8 defenceman plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology while playing for the Tigers.
“Connor is a skilled player, who combines intelligence and grit to be a very effective defenceman, with a huge offensive upside,” says Donnelly. “He has competed extremely well in the very talented BC junior league for a few years and put up some solid numbers, which we look forward to adding to our team’s offensive output.”
Rounding out the latest group of recruits is Ashton Anderson.
A 5’10 forward, Anderson comes to the Tigers after four seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). He spent his entire junior career with the Neepawa Natives, playing an average of 51 games per season. He averaged 60 points in his last two seasons, tallying a total of 50 goals and 73 assists.
Anderson has received a number of team awards for his efforts including Top Manitoba-Born Player and the Hardest Worker Award.
“I am very excited to be coming to Dalhousie to play for the Tigers,” says Anderson. “I’m really looking forward to moving to Halifax to continue my education and develop as a hockey player.”
The Rivers, Manitoba native is the recipient of an MJHL IBAM scholarship and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Kinesiology.
“Ashton combines a competitive edge with a scoring touch that will benefit our program,” says Donnelly. “Immediately after meeting his family, it was evident that Ashton’s character will fit very well into our dressing room. He is a great student, a solid hockey player and an even better person. We look forward to his contribution to the Halifax community.”
The Tigers start the 2018-19 campaign with a game against the Saint Mary’s Huskies Friday, September 28 at The Halifax Forum.