Just a small town kid, realizing big time dreams

Mark Louis was born and raised in the small, rural town of Ponoka, Alberta. Ponoka, which is located 95 kilometres south of Edmonton, has a population of 6,773 so it makes perfect sense that Louis would want to continue his hockey career in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, for StFX University after his junior career was over. Antigonish is virtually on the other side of the country and is also a very small town, but there is much more to the story than that.

“You know it’s funny when you get to junior hockey you think the only option after junior is professional hockey and you don’t really think of the university hockey route all that much. After my junior career was over there was not a lot of pro options out there for me,” Louis notes.

“It was almost luck of the draw that brought me to X. I was working at a hospital in Red Deer, Alberta at the time and out of the blue Brett Robertson’s dad Dave Robertson gave me a call.” Brett Robertson who is from Strathmore, Alberta played for StFX University from 2007-2011, and also played with Mark at Notre Dame in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League when they were in junior high together.

“Dave was an assistant coach when Brett and I played for Notre Dame and he called me and said StFX was an excellent school in terms of development and reputation and also said the caliber of hockey was second to none in the country. Dave emailed head coach Brad Peddle which led to Brad and I discussing things, so I thought I would come and give it a try. Before I came I had very little knowledge of the community and the school I was going to, but I trusted Dave and Brad’s word.”

StFX X-Men head coach Brad Peddle was quick to say that what endeared him to the strapping 6’4”, 220 pound rearguard was his vast potential. “It was a year we were graduating a few defensemen and Mark knew a few players who were already playing here,” Peddle reminisces. “His tremendous speed and potential to evolve into a shutdown defensemen really jumped out at me when he first came to StFX, and he also came with a worker-like mentality and was ready to learn.”

Louis remembers it being a wake-up call the first time he stepped on the ice at the Keating Centre arena in Antigonish. “Right when I showed up the caliber of hockey was way better than junior,” Louis quips. “You are no longer playing against kids, you are playing against men, and I said to myself after the first day of camp that I have to get better.”

And for Coach Peddle, it was a matter of Mark realizing his potential and learning to play a more consistent game night in and night out in the highly competitive AUS conference. “He was always a physical guy, but at StFX I think he found a way to be a consistent physical force every single game. He is such a coachable kid and always took the time to be a better player. Once he found that physical consistency in his game, he became a force in this league.”

Louis remembers a distinct moment that made him realize his physical play was going to be his way of getting noticed. “It was a game against Acadia in my second year and I got cross-checked pretty bad and knew I couldn’t retaliate or else I would get a bad penalty. Brad always stressed to me the importance of my physical play but after that moment I knew that if I was using my size to eliminate forwards every game, guys wouldn’t be giving me cheap shots anymore.”

Louis played three seasons for the StFX X-Men from 2008-2011. After the 2011 season had ended for the X-Men, Mark finally realized his dream and signed his first professional contract with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. Portland is the affiliate squad for the National Hockey League Phoenix Coyotes. Peddle couldn’t be prouder of his former defenseman.

“He is such a low maintenance, unassuming kid who just wants to get better every day. He was a very popular teammate here and it is very tough to see him go. But at the same time it’s always very satisfying to see one of your former players move onto the pro ranks.”

Louis on the other hand, had some very strong praise for his former coaching staff and teammates at StFX University. “I couldn’t have asked for a better three years of hockey. From top to bottom you are treated like gold at X,” Louis emphatically states.

“The coaching staff works with you individually to better your game, and it’s as close to a professional atmosphere as you can get. From the training facilities, to the ice surfaces, to the small community you never run out of resources when you’re at X. They give you everything you need and the coaching staff works and prepares you for the next level. StFX is a hockey program that wants you to make the jump to the professional ranks.”

Coach Peddle echoed that sentiment, “We believe we have the total package here. The combination of academics, athletics and the small community is really a unique experience that is second to none. We have a top end hockey program that players’ love but more importantly we believe this is the next step, and part of my job is to provide that opportunity. We strongly believe these kids can move onto the professional level, only this time with a degree in their pocket, and you can’t argue with that.”

You certainly can’t argue with that, and if Louis’s start in professional hockey is any indication, the X-Men seem to have their athletes prepared for the next level tenfold. Louis has played 11 games for the Portland Pirates since being signed and has four assists and 36 penalty minutes, including four fights, all a testament to the physical game he learned to perfect at StFX University.

“You know I was being interviewed the other day by a local newspaper in Portland and they could not comprehend the fact that I came from university hockey in Canada,” Louis says. “They didn’t understand that scouts would watch this type of hockey and it really ticked me off. The CIS league and AUS conference in particular is one of the most underrated leagues in North America. StFX in particular gives you all the tools you need to succeed at the next level, it just comes down to how bad you want it.”

That, Mr. Louis, we cannot argue with either.