Over the summer, it was announced that defenseman Angus Booth would make his way to Ontario to continue his development.
The previous season, Booth played in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he tallied three goals and 25 assists, for a total of 28 points in 61 games played.
Clearly, Booth is not the offensive minded defender that the Reign had in Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.
Although he does not find the scoresheet often, Booth has exceeded expectations in Ontario and is one of the big reasons why the team is finding success this season.
On opening night, Booth described his game as “simple”, going on to say that “if you don’t see me in a game, it’s probably a good thing because I’m doing my job.”
Ontario played five games in the month of October, in which head coach Marco Sturm told the media that Booth was voted the “player of the month” internally by the organization.
Obviously, five games is a small sample size. Nonetheless, to be recognized as the player of the month by the coaching staff is a huge accomplishment.
There is a lot of growing pains that come with moving from junior to professional hockey. A prime example of this is Francesco Pinelli, who struggled greatly in his first few months in Ontario.
Booth, though, has had little issues. “Since day one, rookie camp, training camp, season, he’s been impressive.” Sturm said about the 20 year old.
As the season progresses, the left-shot defender only continues to get better, anchoring the blue line and playing mistake free hockey.
Furthermore, Booth has played in all 35 games this season, while also getting crucial minutes against top guys in the league.
During a game in November, Jacob Moverare went down with an injury in the third period. Sturm depended on Booth to fill the void, in a way that exemplified the confidence the coach has in the young defensemen, going as far as saying that Booth “took over.”
The highest praise Booth has gotten is his comparison to Kings defender Mikey Anderson—a comparison that has been made my multiple parties.
High praise from Sean O’Donnell when talking about defenseman Angus Booth (who will join AHL Ontario next season):
Angus has got a little bit of Mikey Anderson or Jacob Moverare in there. He sees the ice very well. He understands the game.
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) July 3, 2024
When asked if Booth is a guy the media doesn’t ask about enough, Sturm responded with an interesting answer,
“A lot of people…