The Nanaimo Clippers have taken a big step towards solidifying their backend for the 2021-2022 season with the acquisition of veteran defenceman Andrew Noel from the Maine Nordiques of the NAHL. Last year’s defenceman, Michael Palandra, was recently traded to the OJHL for future considerations and that opened up a spot for another 20-year-old experienced defenceman for the Clippers.
Noel is a 6-ft. 1-in., 190-pound defenceman who was born in Maynard Massachusetts. His minor hockey was played at Kimball Union Academy in the US High School Prep League where in 134 games, he had 32 points. Last year, as a rookie in the NAHL, he had 15 points in 56 games.
Darren Naylor, Head Coach and GM of the Clippers, provided the following on Noel, “After watching Andrew in Boston last week, he was easily one of the top players at the Chowder Cup. He is a big bodied player who moves very well. He will be a top 4 d-man who other teams will not enjoy playing against. Seeing that he is a 20-year-old who isn’t committed yet to the NCAA Div 1, we know he will be hungry to prove himself to earn a scholarship.”
Wes Mussio, President of the Clippers, added; “I’ve been down south much of the year and have had an opportunity to scout some excellent US tournaments in order to solidify our six import players for this coming year. I was impressed with Noel when I saw him. He’s going to be a veteran defenceman on our backend, who is going to make it very difficult for the other teams to play against. He can also contribute upfront because he’s a mobile defenceman with excellent skating skills and a heavy shot.”
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