The 21-year-old from Howie Centre, Cape Breton, is packing his bags for Wolfville, where he’ll play for the Acadia Axemen this fall. Farrell said he was in contact with every team in the Atlantic University Sport conference, but Acadia stood out in the end.
“I went down there for a visit shortly after the season,” he said. “I really liked everything about the community, the setup and the school, the rink, the whole package. All around, the people seemed really friendly.
“It’s a small town that kind of reminded me of home here, so just all those things put together would be a good fit for me.”
Farrell had an accomplished career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He played 252 regular-season games over five seasons with Cape Breton. He finished with 217 points, which puts him seventh in franchise history, his 103 goals are third overall and he’s tied for 10th in career assists with 114.
He had his most productive season and led the Screaming Eagles in scoring in 2014-15, netting 42 goals to go along with 46 assists for 88 points in 63 games.
Farrell said the jump from the "Q" to university hockey will be an adjustment in both speed and strength.
“It’s a really high level of hockey,” he said. “It seems basically the same speed of minor pro. The guys are like men there, so I really worked a lot on getting stronger this summer to make sure I get prepared for that.”
Farrell said he’s focused on education for now and will look at the pro route after university. He’s enrolled in the business program at Acadia, and already has business credits he’s transferred over from his part-time studies at Cape Breton University.
“I hemmed and hawed a bit throughout the season,” he said about considering pro. “I was thinking about some options for down the road, but I kind of felt like this would be the best option for me where I can get a degree and get to play a high level of hockey and then hopefully move on to pro with a degree in my back pocket.”
Axemen head coach Darren Burns said Farrell’s high-energy game will translate well to the AUS and believes the speedy centre will be a “key piece of the puzzle” at Acadia.
“He’s a high-character kid and he’s a perfect fit for what we need and we look for at Acadia in terms of off the ice and what we do in the community,” said Burns.
“On the flip side, he’s a tremendous hockey player, plays hard, plays fast and is an extremely committed kid. He was a highly sought-after player and justifiably so.”
Farrell leaves for Wolfville on Sunday to help out at hockey camps at the university. Training camp for the Axemen begins on Sept. 2.
The 21-year-old from Howie Centre, Cape Breton, is packing his bags for Wolfville, where he’ll play for the Acadia Axemen this fall. Farrell said he was in contact with every team in the Atlantic University Sport conference, but Acadia stood out in the end.
“I went down there for a visit shortly after the season,” he said. “I really liked everything about the community, the setup and the school, the rink, the whole package. All around, the people seemed really friendly.
“It’s a small town that kind of reminded me of home here, so just all those things put together would be a good fit for me.”
Farrell had an accomplished career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He played 252 regular-season games over five seasons with Cape Breton. He finished with 217 points, which puts him seventh in franchise history, his 103 goals are third overall and he’s tied for 10th in career assists with 114.
He had his most productive season and led the Screaming Eagles in scoring in 2014-15, netting 42 goals to go along with 46 assists for 88 points in 63 games.
Farrell said the jump from the "Q" to university hockey will be an adjustment in both speed and strength.
“It’s a really high level of hockey,” he said. “It seems basically the same speed of minor pro. The guys are like men there, so I really worked a lot on getting stronger this summer to make sure I get prepared for that.”
Farrell said he’s focused on education for now and will look at the pro route after university. He’s enrolled in the business program at Acadia, and already has business credits he’s transferred over from his part-time studies at Cape Breton University.
“I hemmed and hawed a bit throughout the season,” he said about considering pro. “I was thinking about some options for down the road, but I kind of felt like this would be the best option for me where I can get a degree and get to play a high level of hockey and then hopefully move on to pro with a degree in my back pocket.”
Axemen head coach Darren Burns said Farrell’s high-energy game will translate well to the AUS and believes the speedy centre will be a “key piece of the puzzle” at Acadia.
“He’s a high-character kid and he’s a perfect fit for what we need and we look for at Acadia in terms of off the ice and what we do in the community,” said Burns.
“On the flip side, he’s a tremendous hockey player, plays hard, plays fast and is an extremely committed kid. He was a highly sought-after player and justifiably so.”
Farrell leaves for Wolfville on Sunday to help out at hockey camps at the university. Training camp for the Axemen begins on Sept. 2.