We interupt your summer to bring you…..hockey.
With training camp just over a month away the early prognosis for the Belleville Senators third season in the American Hockey League is very positive.
The parent Ottawa Senators have added significant depth to the lineup for a team that missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
One of their first moves was to re-sign 26 year old forward Joseph LaBate.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin where he won an NCAA championship in 2013, LaBate signed with the Vancouver Canucks where he had been drafted in the 4th round in 2011. LaBate spent his first 3 professional seasons in the Vancouver organization appearing in 13 games for the NHL Canucks with the rest of his time spent with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Following the 2017-2018 season he was not re-signed by Vancouver and spent most of last off-season as a free agent. LaBate signed with Belleville on August 20th. This time he didn’t have to wait. LaBate was re-signed by Ottawa on June 26th which has led to a more comfortable summer.
The 6 foot 5″ 212 pound Minnesota native added a veteran presence to a young lineup last season while scoring 8 goals and 5 assists with 106 minutes in penalties. LaBate says he can add more offence to his game while providing leadership to a young roster featuring many top prospects in the Ottawa Senators system.
Meanwhile, as the calendar has now rolled into August, Joseph LaBate is anxious for the new season to arrive.
Hear the complete interview with Joseph LaBate here.