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Hockey has taken Johnny Elias on a long journey.

The Whitehorse, native left home at 15 for a shot at playing more competitive hockey. Look at his r茅sum茅 on www.eliteprospects.com and his road has taken him to the Kootenays, playing major midget hockey with the Ice and Vancouver Island with the Silvertips.

He made the jump to junior hockey with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League鈥檚 Oceanside Generals as well as the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League鈥檚 (KIJHL) Kimberley Dynamiters, Golden Rockets and Columbia Valley Rockies.

Last fall, however, he found a permanent home with the Fernie Ghostriders following a trade from the Rockies on Oct. 4 for a player development fee.

鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a lot of patience, but I'm grateful now that I have this opportunity with this team,鈥� says Elias, after collecting two assists in a win over the Castlegar Rebels.

As soon as Elias arrived in Fernie, the fit felt right.

鈥淚 realized that this was a first-class organization. It鈥檚 a beautiful town and I fell in love with it right away,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place I can call my second home for sure.鈥�

It鈥檚 because Fernie reminds him of home with the mountain and its size 鈥� not too big and not too small.

鈥淔ernie has an atmosphere unlike anywhere else I have seen which made it so attractive to me,鈥� he added. 鈥淭he people make it what it is, and the amount of town support we get is unbeatable."

It was difficult, the 19-year-old admits, to leave home at such a young age, but once players in Whitehorse reach midget, he says, they have to search for tougher competition. Elias was eventually joined by fellow Whitehorse native, Gavin Lawrie.

Along with his parents, Elias says his minor hockey coaches, Martin Lawrie and Jacob Jirousek, have been influential.

鈥淭hey kind of shaped me into the player I would become,鈥� says Elias. 鈥淲e grew up with those coaches all through minor hockey. They gave us the best opportunity to get out of Whitehorse for tougher competition.鈥�

Often Elias would play in higher age groups and when reaching bantam and midget, his teams had to play against men鈥檚 recreational teams.

Prior to leaving home, and during his final season of bantam, Elias played in the Canada Winter Games for Team Yukon, collecting an assist in five games. He describes the Canada Winter Games as 鈥渙ne of the best hockey experiences I鈥檝e ever had.鈥�

He also played for Team North in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships for three years. A team he captained and won silver with.

鈥淧laying with and against some of the top Aboriginal talent in the country, it was unreal,鈥� says Elias, as Team North consisted of the three territories to compete against other provinces.

It was valuable experience for the five-foot-eight, 165-pound forward. He learned the importance of coming together as a group in short tournaments is.

Players have to gel right away and buy into roles for team success. He was underage competing in the CWG, which was a 鈥渉uge eye-opener for me.鈥� Elias discovered how good other players were and knew where he wanted to be.

鈥淚 went from my first-year in midget to third year and just to grow as a player throughout that tournament, I was a leader for that team,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t helped me a lot.鈥�

And now he is a leader for the Ghostriders.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a very light and easy-going guy. He puts pressure on himself,鈥� says Tal Klaudt, the Ghostriders鈥� assistant coach/assistant GM.

鈥淪ometimes you have to build him up. He鈥檚 a guy that understands that he鈥檚 in a leadership role, even though he doesn鈥檛 wear a letter. He really tries to bring a positive attitude every day.鈥�

The Ghostriders didn鈥檛 initially know what they were getting in Elias. Once he arrived, it took little time to establish himself. He鈥檚 viewed as a solid two-way guy, that produces. In 80 career KIJHL games, Elias has 44 points. Thirty-eight of those with the Ghostriders. He is counted on in situations.

鈥淗e kind of leads the way by defining details for a younger team,鈥� says Klaudt. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy we rely on to set the example.鈥�

Elias brings an aggressive style and is considered one of the Ghostriders鈥� best skaters.

鈥淗e has a gift offensively,鈥� says Klaudt. 鈥淗e is also very strong on the d-side of the puck.鈥�

Elias has surprised the coaching staff with his offence this season 鈥� eight goals, 25 points in 22 games. Last season, he had eight goals, 13 points in 39 games.

Off the ice, he is just as great.

鈥淥ne of the guys that are always laughing and joking around,鈥� says Klaudt. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the lighter attitude guy on the team and very positive in all areas.鈥�

When asked about personal goals, without hesitation, Elias talks about team success and his desire to win the KIJHL championship.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time since Fernie has won (2007-08). That is the mindset that a lot of us have in the room,鈥� says Elias.