Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Chad Goddard
Okotoks, AB (December 2, 2025) – Stratford, P.E.I., the third-largest community in the “Garden of the Gulf” province, with a population of just under 11,000, is home to Okotoks Oilers’ 2007-born rookie defenceman, Ethan Anderson.
Startford is closely connected to the province of P.E.I’s capital of Charlottetown, as it sits across the Hillsborough River. Startford is home to many workers from Charlottetown, as the Hillsborough Bridge provides a five-minute drive to the capital city.
P.E.I. has produced NHL talent, including Stanley Cup winners in Brad Richards (Tampa Bay Lightning – 2004, Chicago Blackhawks – 2015) and Steve Ott (St. Louis Blues – 2019), along with former Boston Bruins hard-hitting defenceman Adam McQuaid, the Vegas Golden Knights’ coach Gerard Gallant during their inaugural season, and current Montreal Canadiens stand-out defencemen, Noah Dobson. One familiar trait with players from P.E.I. is toughness, a characteristic Anderson shares with his fellow community members.
“It’s a pretty small town type community. Everybody’s friendly, and you will get into conversations everywhere. It’s just a really tight community; everybody knows everybody, there’s kind of that gritty lifestyle with the farm and fishing industries. There’s definitely toughness, but it’s a great town,” Anderson said about his hometown of Stratford.
Anderson explained that during the wintertime time Startford can turn into a bit of a ghost town, but added the summer months see a lot do action with the beaches and scenery trips as the water is about a 10-minute drive.
The move to Okotoks is a bit of a change from the water to the mountains. Anderson has enjoyed the vibe of the mountains, but said that he would always choose the ocean over the mountains.
“I’m always going to pick the ocean. I love the water, so I love being on the beach on the coast, but the mountains are pretty cool to look at. I love the mountains in the morning,” he said.
Anderson said the Maritime provinces all share a lot of the same qualities, but added that P.E.I. has “Its own touch”. While fishing is a huge part of the Maritimes, Anderson prefers to enjoy the seafood on his plate rather than out on the ocean catching the marine animals.
“Yeah, P.E.I. is big with lobster, oysters, all that type of shellfish and seafood, it’s great,” Anderson explained. “Lobster is a special occasion thing, but it’s great. It’s definitely a treat when you get lobster.”
On top of the seafood, potatoes are also beloved in the province, and Anderson was happy to see his home province represented in Okotoks.
“It’s a big thing for P.E.I., obviously the biggest industry we have. It’s great seeing Cavendish Farms branch out everywhere. I think we got an ad at the rink with Cavendish Farms. P.E.I. is a big potato industry, and it definitely means a lot to our people,” he shared about his home province and potatoes.
Anderson may be attached to the oceans and his home province, but he has made sure to soak in Okotoks and the area while enjoying the new scenery.
“I love it, the drive to the rink in the morning and seeing the mountains, it’s just pretty to look at, and definitely lightens your mood for sure. Okotoks is great, it kind of gives me that back home feel a little bit with the small, tight community. Everybody’s really friendly here, especially the boys. When I first came, they were very welcoming,” he said about Okotoks.
While many of the Oilers this season were taking part in training camp before the preseason, Anderson was a late addition to the roster but fit in seamlessly as he has become a regular in the lineup.
“Yeah, I was in contact with a few teams, and then my advisor, Deis (Tyler Deis), and Purf (Derek Purfield) were all talking. I hopped on a phone call with Purf and found out that Okotoks is a really good spot, and they all seem pretty welcoming. It was a spot I wanted to be in,” Anderson said about how he joined the Green and Gold.
The BCHL wasn’t new to Anderson, as he has friends who have joined the league in the past.
“I have had some guys from past teams come to the BCHL, like some older guys, and they are obviously doing really well now, so I thought it was a great league. I have always wanted to play in the BC, so it’s been great,” he said about the BCHL. “It’s a very competitive league, and everybody’s a good player in the league. So, just being able to compete with the guys during practice and opposing teams, it’s great.”
Anderson didn’t have to make long travels to play hockey in his youth, but did mention that later in his hockey career, he was taking bus rides all the way to Ohio.
“Not so much during minor hockey, but I went to Mount Academy my 15’s and 17’s years, and we were travelling all the way to Ohio sometimes to play games, travelled on a bus, so definitely some long bus rides there. But in minor hockey was all pretty local,” Anderson explained.
The travel earlier in his career has helped him get used to the long travels of the BCHL. Anderson mentioned that he enjoys scrolling through his phone while getting some shuteye and usually gets the row to himself on the bus rides.
“I paired up with Marko (Lisica) and Jeff (Niehaus) once; normally, I’m all by myself,” he said about having a seatmate on the bus. “More space, just able to spread out a little more. Taller guy, so keeping the legs fresh.”
Being a taller guy, Anderson fits in with the defensive position as hockey prefers their long and tall defencemen. While he has been a defenceman most of his career, he wasn’t always a defender.
“I was a forward up until Novice. The coach kind of said we need some guys on the backend. I think our team had maybe four defencemen; we needed more guys. So, I said I’d try it out, and ever since then, I have loved it,” Anderson said about becoming a D-man. “I like being able to see the whole ice and kind of dictate the plays. Just being offensive and defensive at the same time.
Anderson describes himself as a two-way defenceman who possesses good skating that can jump into the rush or get back on defence in a “jiffy”.
“I used to be a little more offensive, but I realized how big the defensive game is. So, I’ve been trying to tame that in a little bit, but I like doing both for sure,” he added.
He will also use his size to his advantage as he can punish opposing players with some big hits.
“I feel like it helps me get in the game a little bit more when I’m playing physical and running my mouth a little bit. It tends to get me more dialed into the game,” Anderson said about being physical.
Another thing that helps Anderson during game time is staying loose. “Yeah, I like being loose. I know when to be serious and when to be loose, but I feel like being loose definitely helps my game and keeps me calm on the ice.”
Anderson gave the coaching staff a ton of credit for continuing to help him develop as the 18-year-old has goals to play post-secondary hockey.
“They’re unreal. I’ve loved every bit of being here and being coached by them. They’re really high-energy coaches, but they really know what they’re talking about, and helping with those little details is really going to help me move to the next level,” he said about the coaching staff.
One of the coaches he was talking about is Reid Hnatowich, who works closely with the Oilers’ defencemen.
“He’s great. He helps me a lot with my game and where to improve, where to be better, and where to tone it in. Just going over little things during video or just having small conversations, it’s great,” Anderson added.
Anderson may be the only player on the team from the Maritimes, but he said that hasn’t made him feel like an outcast, as he claims to be an easy-going guy and has played with people all around the world, let alone across Canada, as he teamed with Russians, Hungarians, and others.
One of his teammates that he has gotten close to is Oilers captain Brett Wilson, as they are billet roommates at the Moores.
“I’m living with Willy, so living with the captain definitely helps out a little bit. They’re great, they’re really dialed in and know how to get the group close,” he said about the Oilers leadership group. “It’s great, we (Anderson and Wilson) watched some Christmas movies, and we’re always in the hot tub. It’s a good time.”
Anderson said he’s loved living with Trev, Tammy, and their dog Leo. He said it’s always great being greeted at the door by Leo and raved about Trev’s cooking.
“Trev’s probably the best chef I have ever met. He’s always getting the best food on the table, it’s awesome. Definitely the red meat and the steaks,” Anderson said about Trev’s cooking. “They are really supportive. Trev and Tammy are always texting us (Anderson and Wilson) when we’re on the road; it’s great. They’re big hockey fans, so just being in that environment, I feel, helps me a lot.”
Being one of the taller players on the team, it only makes sense that it would take a lot to feed Anderson, but that wasn’t always the case, as he wasn’t always a tall kid.
“I was kind of a late bloomer. I was pretty average-sized for most of my minor hockey career. I was very underweight for a lot of the time. I’ve been really focusing on the weight room and on nutrition, so I found a way to get bigger,” he mentioned. “I don’t know where I get the height from, with mom being 5’7 and dad being 5’10. It just kind of came out of nowhere, but I’m happy I have it.”
Anderson said it took some time to get adjusted to his size once he had his big growth spurt, saying he looked a bit like Bambi on the ice, but added that his strong skating style helped him get his feet under him and figure out his balance quickly.
He didn’t grow up alone, as Anderson has a younger sister named Lauren. The siblings were competitive with each other, but have built a strong bond as they keep in touch all the time.
“She plays hockey as well, so I’ve taught her a few things. Seeing her able to have fun with the sport has been great,” Anderson said about his sister Lauren.
Lauren plays forward, so it was only fitting that Anderson and his sister would battle one-on-one when playing hockey against each other.
Anderson gave praise to his parents, Kathy and Derek, as both have given him everything he needs to succeed.
“Everything, you know, they have supported me from day one, and obviously, they don’t really care too much about the hockey aspect; they just want me to be happy, and they want me to be able to do my thing. My dad has helped me out a lot with the mental side of the game; that’s what he does for a profession. My mom’s just always there for me to talk to and always support me. They’ve done a lot for me, whether it’s pushing me to school or whatnot. They’ve done everything, I wouldn’t be here without them,” he praised his parents, Kathy and Derek.
“They raised me right, and I see that as I grow older, just little things that they’ve taught me when I was younger have really paid off in the long run.”
Anderson said his dad, Derek, works with people who have PTSD, as well as helping people understand their minds. He added he likes to pick his dad’s brain as he feels he always has the right answers. He expects both his parents to make the trip to Okotoks soon.
“Yeah, they should be down around family weekend and stuff. It will be great to get them up here and show them Okotoks, the mountains, and stuff. They lived out in B.C. for a while when they were first engaged. They loved it out West, they like being in the mountains and skiing,” Anderson stated.
Just like every player who joins the BCHL, post-secondary hockey is something that Anderson hopes to accomplish after his junior career comes to a close.
“That’s my main goal. I want to play Division 1 hockey at a good program,” he said. “I found being in the prep school environment has helped me realize that school’s a big piece too. Growing up, I really didn’t care about school that much, and I realized you also need good grades to be a good hockey player.”
While Anderson is excited to play in front of the NCAA crowds, he also appreciates the support he has seen from the Green Army so far this season.
“It’s really humbling. I really like the fact that people are willing to come watch us play. I love the energy, and just being able to put a good show on for them, it’s great,” Anderson praised the Oilers fans.
As for the younger members of the Green Army who want to one day play for the BCHL Oilers, Anderson said, “Discipline and keep your love for the sport. I like to have fun with it, so I’d say just find a way to have fun and enjoy your craft.
10 Questions with Ethan Anderson:
What is your go-to cheat meal?
“Probably just a good Dairy Queen run. Getting a big blizzard and some chicken strips. Here, it’s probably Fredy’s. We went to Freddy’s a few times, and I feel like Freddy’s is a pretty good spot.”
What is your favourite sport other than hockey?
“Basketball. I have a lot of fun playing basketball. I was in an intermural league last year at school. That was pretty fun.”
What is your favourite movie and TV show?
“That’s a tough one, I’m not a big TV guy, but I would probably say my favorite TV show is The Watcher, a good Netflix show. Then my favourite movie is probably Happy Gilmore.”
Favourite team and player growing up?
“My favourite team was the Chicago Blackhawks. I was kind of a bandwagon when I was a little kid. Kind of just cheering for whatever team won the Stanley Cup, and Chicago won it. My favourite player was probably Duncan Keith.”
What is your guilty pleasure song?
“Wow, I don’t know. I like every kind of Zach Bryan song. Rattlesnake by Zach Bryan is my go-to.”
Who was your celebrity crush growing up?
“Jennifer Aniston.”
If you could relive any day of your life, which day would you choose?
“That’s tough. Probably the day my Pee Wee team won the Ed McNeil tournament. It’s a big tournament in P.E.I., and it’s just a big deal at the time. A great group of guys, I still keep in touch with a lot of them to this day, but it was just a very memorable day.”
Would you rather go to the future or the past?
“The future. I just feel the way the world’s moving, you never know what’s going to be in the future. I feel like that would be pretty cool to see.”
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
“Conor McGregor. Have dinner or something like that. Ask him what it’s like to be one of the best fighters in the world, just that mentality. The way he lives his life is pretty cool.”
Where in the world would you go if I could snap my fingers and get you there right now?
“Bermuda. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, and I remember a little bit of it. My grandpa was a priest up there, and it was great. Our family would go gather there, and it was just a special spot for me. I’d love to go back there.”
Bonus:
Who has the worst stick tape job on the team?
“Wieber (Josh Wiebe). It’s just Wieber. ”
Do you prefer black or white stick tape?
“Not black. I switched it one year, saw one of my teammates doing it, and I liked it ever since.”
Who on the team would you have as an emergency contact?
“I’m going to go with Joey Gugino. I just feel like he’d always be there every hour of the day.”
Best advice you have ever received from your parents?
“Just be myself. Wherever I am, just embrace who I am and don’t change for anybody. Just stay positive, and the rest will come.”
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
