No, not Archie Bunker, but rather Carter Reid.
The Metro Jets’ rookie defenseman is following in older brother Adam’s footsteps by skating for the Jets after Adam played on the blue line during the 2011-12 season.
For the younger Reid, who signed a North American 3 Hockey League tender agreement with the Jets over the summer after a season with the North American Prospects Hockey League’s West Michigan Hounds (pictured), he knew what to expect coming to Metro this year.
“(Former Jets’ coach) Jason (Cirone) and my family have had a great relationship since my brother played here a couple years ago,” Reid said. “We have respected him as a coach and even more so as a person since that time. We had stayed in touch, so nothing was really a surprise. I knew if I was going to play Tier III this season that I would want to do it in Waterford.”
Through eight games this season, the 19-year-old Reid has a goal and three assists for four points. Bigger than stats, though, is how his mentality towards the game has grown.
”My season started off kind of rocky and I arrived in Waterford late with some loss in my confidence,” Reid explained. “I think I've gotten back to the type of game that makes me successful and it's started to show the last couple weekends. Certainly, I have gotten more comfortable as the season has progressed. The guys in the locker room are a great group. My billet situation is nice in that I am living with three fellow defensemen (T.J. Krajewski, Kenny Forton and Luke Thom) and there are a couple guys around the team who knew my brother.”
Reid’s childhood was anything but typical, but hockey was always at the forefront. He was born in Kalamazoo and then three years later, started to travel the world – literally.
“My dad took a job with Dell that took us down to Central Texas just before I turned three,” said Reid. “My brother and I grew up and graduated from high school in Georgetown, a town 30 minutes north of Austin. We had a three-year period while I was in middle school where our family lived overseas in Singapore. My dad had an opportunity to take a position with Dell there and the four of us decided to go for it. Living in and traveling – and playing youth and men’s hockey – all over Asia was a great experience that benefits me every day and will for years to come. After high school, hockey took me back to Kalamazoo (also where Adam now attends Western Michigan University).
”Growing up in Texas, the caliber of hockey wasn't always what it is up north. Also, a typical season totaled around 30-35 games. Last season, my NAPHL midget team played 66 games, twice as many as I had been used to. I think both the higher quality of play and playing more often prepared me well for this season.”
With his confidence on the upswing and his on-ice play improving daily, Reid knows that the adage of hard work paying off can come true, but it’s all up to him.
”You never know who is watching, whether it be in a game or even practice,” said Reid. “Everyone is one look away from finding that opportunity at the next level. That's my motivation to go compete every time I am on the ice. My goal for hockey this season is to get back to NAHL (Reid made the preseason roster of the Minot Minotauros). It's a league I certainly think I am capable of playing in. From there, we’ll see what happens.
“Hockey has been great to me since the day I first laced up my skates. I'll continue to play it competitively until I can't any longer.”
JET STREAKS
New Jets' forward Kevin Shand, who won a Division 3 high school state championship last spring with Cranbrook Kingswood and began this season with the NAHL's Springfield Jr. Blues, is the son of former NHL player David Shand.
The elder Shand played for the Atlanta Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals and was also an assistant coach at the University of Michigan from 1990-92.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Sean Hogan, who played for the Jets during the 1995-96 season and later coached Oakland University to an ACHA Division I national championship in 2007 and an ACHA Division II national title in 2006, is now in his third season as the head coach at the University of Arizona, an ACHA Division I program.
Hogan was also an assistant coach for Oakland when the Grizzlies won the 2004 ACHA Division II national title.
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