Bears rookie Clare headed overseas to further hockey development

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Imagine being a 17-year old, competing in a physically tough hockey league with men that are sometimes twice your age. That’s exactly what young Sydney Bear’s rookie Tyerell Clare has contended with this season.
 
A young defenceman who has played every game in his rookie season for the Bears, Tyerell has confirmed the next step in his development that will see him playing with players much closer to his age group.
 
He will be continuing his development overseas in the AIHL off-season. The 17-year old has been ever-present in the Bears’ defensive lines this year and demonstrating a hard-hitting game beyond his years, with only Spencer Austin racking up more penalty minutes as the Sydney side remains in contention for an AIHL Finals place in a log-jam for fourth.
 
This form, along with Clare’s love of hockey will see him competing for the Vancouver Rangers in the Western States Hockey League. Vancouver assistant coach, Chad Olson was glowing in his praise stating, “he has a great work ethic, and great hockey IQ; he is going to do big things for us”.
 
The club itself is newly-formed this season and has been on a recruitment drive, bringing together a team of mixed nationalities to the city just outside of Portland.
 
This isn’t the first time that Tyerell has taken his hockey overseas; spending last season at the Ontario Hockey Academy, honing his skills with a gruelling 40+ game schedule, while continuing his high-school education. In fact, his time in Ontario directly led to his latest North American opportunity.
 
“While I was over there, I got approached by Chad (Olson) and he’d previously heard of me through the school,” Clare said. “He’d seen a couple of tournaments and was keen on me so asked what I was doing next season and went from there.”
 
Tyerell is a young man with clear goals in mind; not getting carried away in the hype of our first Australian NHL draftee Nathan Walker, he views the next step as the USHL.
 
“If I reach there, I’ll want to keep moving on,” Clare added.
 
The future appears to be bright for this young Bear, especially if he continues with his year-round hockey practice at home and abroad.