Former AJHLer Dobbin set for Okanagan College debut following injury

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One of the Okanagan College Coyotes’ top recruits is finally set to make his long-awaited debut for the hockey club after missing the first half of the season with a broken collarbone.

Steve Dobbin, a native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, will don the red and white for the first time this Saturday when OC hosts Portage College of the ACAC in what is sure to be an exciting exhibition matchup (6:00 pm at Memorial Arena).

After spending last season as the captain of the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL, Dobbin was recruited to Okanagan College with the expectation that he would supply great skill and leadership to a Coyotes squad that would include 15 first-year players.

“We were thrilled to get a player with Steve’s credentials this past offseason,” said Coyotes GM Kolby Barnstable. “He really has elite speed and acceleration, and brings a ton of leadership to our dressing room.”

In a preseason exhibition matchup with the Kelowna Chiefs of the KIJHL, Dobbin suffered a broken collarbone while throwing a bodycheck along the side boards. He was projected as a top-six forward before the injury, and the Coyotes were forced to shuffle their forward lines to make up for the loss of his offensive talent.

"It definitely was a tough break for me, coming to a new team and really anticipating going through the day to day grind with the team," said Dobbin. "But I worked hard to get back to a place where I could step into the lineup and hopefully immediately contribute."

Sitting 2nd in league standings with an 8-2-2 record, the Coyotes have positioned themselves for a second half push in an attempt to secure their first regular season title in school history, a surge Dobbin plans on contributing to.

"So far the team has played really great, but there is always room for improvement. I think we all believe in the ourselves and our squad, and I can’t wait to battle for first place and a championship."

As is often the case with collegiate sports, changes to rosters are commonplace, specifically with the turnover from the fall semester to winter semester. The Coyotes will be missing a number of key players from the first half of the season, as defencemen Justin Lutz and Cory Hodgins, as well as forward Marc Mackenzie will all be playing elsewhere when the season resumes.

Such a void in the lineup is one that Barnstable hopes is alleviated by the insertion of Dobbin, as well as the entire team stepping up to another level.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us, losing a few guys who have been key cogs the first half," he offered. "But our team is full of character guys who I expect to step up, and we are extremely excited to have Steve back in the lineup because he brings a passion to the game which is really contagious."

Such passion is clear when Dobbin talks about hockey, and has only intensified with his injury forcing to watch his team battle from the stands, rather than play the game he loves.

"The collarbone feels great, and I really am jumping at the opportunity to play the rest of the year, as we go after OC’s first championship in the BCIHL."