Brooke Hobson leaving P.A. Northern Bears after five years with her home team

Brooke Hobson was 12 years old when she first donned the orange and white of the Prince Albert Bears.

Hobson was called up to the midget ‘AAA’ team on Dec. 18, 2011 for a home game against the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats. Late in the first period, while on the penalty kill, Hobson scored her first goal as a Bear. It would be the first of many.

Hobson spent the next five years developing into one of the top defencemen in the Saskatchewan Female Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League while playing every one of her games with her hometown team. In 2015 Hobson was named team captain.

“I think it’s really important that I stayed here. It was definitely the right choice to stay here and play for the Bears and play for P.A.,” Hobson said, looking back on her time with the Bears.

“Having this time in my home city and with my family and friends here definitely made my midget experience even better.”

Over the course of the next five years Hobson would score 41 goals and add 45 assists in 128 regular season games. She sits third in league history for games played and her 252 regular season penalty minutes total is a league record. Hobson is also the all-time league leader in playoff games played with 46, racking up five goals, 24 assists and a record 104 penalty minutes during the postseason.

Jeff Willoughby coached Hobson throughout her tenure with the Bears. He said he first called her up as an affiliated player because he felt she had the strength to compete with older athletes.

“In her last year here you can tell she’s still the strongest player out on the ice,” he said.

“The other players are chasing and grabbing onto her and it’s just a huge advantage to have all that strength. Her skating has come a long way, too. She was a good skater when she came in but speed-wise I’d put her up against anyone.”

For more on this story, please read the Prince Albert Daily Herald¹s subscription-based print or e-editions.