Then he got the itch that he wasn’t done lacing up the skates.
Olson then took in a Hartland Hounds’ game in October and that was all he needed.
“I came down and saw the Hounds play and then later that night, I emailed coach (Randy) Montrose and he invited me down for practice,” said Olson, who signed with Hartland on Nov. 2. “I really didn’t know too much about the Hounds or about the MWJHL prior to joining the team. I knew that the Hounds were in first place, but other than that, I didn't know too much.”
A 20-year-old defenseman from Grand Blanc, Olson said he initially wasn’t sure how the players would welcome him to the team, but those worries lasted all of a few seconds.
“I thought it would be hard to adjust when first coming to the team because I didn’t know anyone and they were all very close, but the guys were very good about introducing themselves to me and helping to make me feel part of the team,” explained Olson. “Making the road trip to Bloomington for my first games helped me to spend a lot of extra time with the guys and settle in.
“I hope to bring a physical presence to the Hounds and dependable, consistent defensive zone play.”
Joining an undefeated team might seem a big chore, but Olson said the mood around the 20-0 Hounds “is no different than the mood around a .500 team.”
“If anything, we are even more focused than an average team,” said Olson. “We all realize that we can’t get too confident and we need to work hard each and every day in order to be fully prepared for tough post-season games. We make sure to play our game night in and night out and stick to our game plan.”
And if that happens, Olson sees even more excitement down the road on a personal and team level.
“My short-term hockey goals are to provide solid defense for the Hounds and to win both the MWJHL championship and a national championship,” said Olson. “My long-term hockey goals are to move up and play the highest level of college hockey that I can. I plan to pursue my hockey career and take it to the highest level that I can through hard work and consistent play.”
HOUNDS NOTEBOOK: Hartland signed forward Alex Grizzel (Traverse City) this week and put goaltender Colin Longeway (Pinckney) on the 30-day injured reserve with a foot injury.
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