By Stefania Rizzi
Ex-Ram hockey player Paul Noonan is now a ScareCrow.
Noonan, former defenseman for Ryerson, has signed a weekly, 69-game rookie contract with the Topeka ScareCrows of the Central Hockey League.
The Central Hockey League is made up of mainly Canadian players.
The level of play in the CHL is slower, but tougher than other minor leagues.
He received offers from clubs in Holland and Belgium, but chose the U.S.
“[European hockey] is not my style,” the 23-year-old said. “North American hockey is a lot more physical and more challenging than the European way and I prefer it like that.”
For Noonan, who has been playing hockey since he was 3, getting a contract has always been a dream. “There’s nothing like walking into a dressing room and seeing your name on a jersey,” he said. “No one can be that number except for me and that’s awesome.”
The contract Noonan signed is not guaranteed, and he could be sent home if he starts playing poorly.
The contract with the ScareCrows “is a 24-hour contract, where every day I have to earn my paycheque,” he said.
If he never got a contract, Noonan said he would still be at Ryerson and playing for the Rams.
Leaving the Rams and joining the ScareCrows, an expansion team is a stepping stone, Noonan said.
“If it doesn’t work out then I’ll be home in a couple weeks, but I don’t want to wake up 20 years from now and regret it.”
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