A Princeton Posse hockey player has been named the recipient of the Jaxon Joseph Memorial Scholarship.

Brennan Watterson, a forward for the Posse, was presented with the $2,500 scholarship. He is the fourth player to receive this award.

The scholarship is given in honour of Joseph, one of 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos killed in a bus crash on April 6, 2018.

Joseph started his hockey carer playing for the Beaver Valley Nitehawks in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League before moving on to Junior A hockey in the B.C. Hockey League and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. His goal was to play college hockey.

The scholarship is given to an individual who shares Joseph鈥檚 athletic and academic goals while also having displayed a commitment to community involvement.

鈥淭o be the recipient is awesome,鈥� Watterson said. 鈥淚t was nice to get the award because exactly what Jaxon placed valuable to him is what I hold valuable to me 鈥� family, friends, school and community involvement. It鈥檚 really nice to be seen that way.鈥�

Wattterson, from Moose Jaw, Sask., graduated from Briercrest Christian Academy in 2022 and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree studying engineering at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. 

He will also play for the school's Jimmies team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

He spent three seasons with the Posse and was involved in volunteer work while in Princeton. He helped with Princeton Minor Hockey, the Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day ceremony, Truth and Reconciliation Ceremony set up, Family Day and more. He also volunteered on his own to assist Alzheimer's and dementia patients at Lakeview Perpetual Health Centre last year.

鈥淗is authenticity and genuine kindness make our team feel more like a family, creating an environment where teammates are truly invested in each other鈥檚 success,鈥� said Torrin White, head coach and general manager for the Posse.

鈥淏rennan鈥檚 character is just as impressive as his athleticism. He genuinely cares about the people in his life 鈥� his teammates, coaches, family, and billets 鈥� and his respect and kindness toward others are evident in everything he does.鈥�