Starting off young

Anderson Yeadon, the son of Dean Yeadon and Ella Yeadon of Malta, is doing something uncommon around the Phillips County section of the Hi-Line; playing hockey in Glasgow for the Ice Dawgs.

"I just wanted him to try something different," Dean, a native of Rhode Island, told the PCN. "I played hockey since I was four, all the way through high school, and I couldn't really believe that there wasn't really any hockey in Montana."

Anderson started playing for the Glasgow youth hockey league two years ago, though he only played in January and February of 2017, at the age of five. He will turn seven Thursday, March 8.

"It's four months long," Dean said of the youth hockey season. "It starts on the first of November and it goes usually to the first or second week in March."

Dean went on to say that the league plays in two halves, and that there is a good reason to start hockey young.

"I just wanted to get him acclimated and get the blades under his feet," Dean said. "The younger you start them, the better. Just like skiing. Then it becomes second nature to them."

Dean admits that it is a long process, especially with the two-hour round trip that the father-son duo takes at least twice a week.

"It's a lot to ask of him because we go to Glasgow twice a week," Dean said. "Practices are Mondays and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m."

Dean knows that his son has come a long way since last season.

"Last year he just skated and had probably twenty to twenty-five practices under his belt," Dean said. "I was pretty proud of him because they exponentially get so good, so fast. He probably doesn't know that he is getting better, but in dad's eyes, he is doing awesome."

This year, Anderson has played all four months, including his first games, and as a forward, he has been quite the offensive threat, scoring goals in the youth league which has no goalie.

His first game was in January against Miles City, where he played with the eight and under team. His last few games have been played with the six and under team at home games.

"I scored three goals in Glasgow and I did a few in Miles City too," Anderson said.

His first game in Glasgow was his favorite of the year.

"Because it was easy and it wasn't that cold," Anderson said.

Dean added some context, mentioning that Glasgow's Valley Event Center has heating, while Miles City does not. It was also -20 outside in Miles City and 20 degrees for the first Glasgow game.

Though Anderson enjoys scoring goals, he enjoys one thing more of any other aspect of the game.

"Hitting (checking) someone," Anderson said.

He loves being an enforcer so much that later in the conversation, when he was asked of his favorite memory this season, he replied, "My first time hitting someone. It was number 17 from Havre. He fell down."

Though Anderson said number 17 was down for a couple of minutes, Dean assured his son that the opposing player was okay and that he was done for a few seconds.

"I went to check number 14 and 17," Anderson said. "Because they were the biggest ones."

But there was one Havre athlete that was safe from Anderson's hard-hitting.

"Especially not Fisher because that's Mrs. (Cindy) Christman's grandson," Anderson said. "Once I accidentally ran into him."

Fisher and Anderson were nearly teammates.

"That was a choice that we had," Dean said. "Do we go to Havre, or Glasgow, or Canada,"

The family settled on Glasgow due it being the closest town.

Anderson mentioned that the Boston Bruins was his favorite team, but he likes playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins in video games with his cousins. His favorite player is right-winger David Pastrnak of the Bruins.

"He can like other teams as well, but Bruins first," Dean, a life-long Boston sports fan said.

Given his knowledge and experience in the game of hockey, Dean has become an assistant coach for his son's team.

"When we started there last year, a guy asked if (there was any more interest from kids in Malta)," Dean said. "They were a little low on kids Anderson's age."

Before the 2017-2018 season began, the Ice Dawgs sent fliers to Malta Public Schools. Anderson is currently the only kid from Malta playing hockey in Glasgow.

For those who may be interested in playing hockey in future seasons, visit http://www.hlyh.org/.