UPEI Men’s Hockey Panthers recruit former Erie Otter Noah Sedore
The UPEI Men’s Hockey Panthers have secured a commitment from Noah Sedore, a 21-year-old forward from Newmarket, Ontario, for the 2023–24 season.
When the lights turn bright and the pressure intensifies, certain players have the ability to step up their game. Sedore has shown the potential to do that throughout his playing career.
In 2019, then 16-year-old Sedore, who was playing for the Ridley College Tigers, showed off that flair in the Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL) championship game, scoring the game-winning goal against Stanstead College.
Since then, Sedore has played a vital role with the Erie Otters, and even though the team struggled in recent years, he’s been a constant bright spot. In four seasons with Erie, he tallied 35 goals and 57 assists in 186 games. This past season, he was just one of two players on the team who finished the year with a positive plus/minus rating.
“I believe a big part of my game is my level of competition every shift,” said Sedore. “I feel I’m a good skater who plays a 200-foot game and competes 100 per cent every shift, while also being an offensive threat.”
That’s exactly the type of player Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson is looking for as he assembles the forward group that will be counted on to produce immediately.
"Noah is a perfect fit for our program. His hockey DNA has Panther Hockey written throughout. With our significant graduating class, we needed to replace the high level of skill, and Noah brings that,” MacPherson said. “He’s a player that we targeted early and pursued very hard, and we see him being an impact player in the AUS.”
Sedore is the second Erie Otter to commit to UPEI, just a week after defenceman Cam Morton was officially announced as an addition to the Panthers. The pair have played on the same team since the 2019–20 season and will compete alongside one another once again. The two shared leadership responsibilities as the Otters’ assistant captain and captain.
“When the team reached out to both of us, we talked about the idea of playing together for a few more years, and it ended up working out,” said Sedore, who will be studying sociology at UPEI. “It will be nice to have a familiar face around the room while settling in.”
While having a familiar face around was certainly a draw when deciding which school to attend, it wasn’t the only factor. With the Panthers amidst a significant roster turnover, there’s an opportunity to step up right away and make an immediate impact, which was something Sedore couldn’t turn down.
“My mentality is to come in and make an impact right away, doing whatever I can to help the team win with my speed, tenacity, drive to compete, and offensive presence,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team. I have heard the staff has done a great job recruiting this off season, so I feel we’ll be ready to turn a lot of heads.”
