Three seasons into his AIHL career, the Perth Thunder’s Rob Haselhurst has quickly turned into one of the most offensively minded defencemen in the league. Although he started as a forward for the Thunder, he’s found his place on the blue line for club, tallying 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists) in just 45 games.
At only 22, Haselhurst is already a fan favourite in Western Australia, with his number 3 the Thunder’s best-selling jersey. Growing up in Margaret River, hours south of Perth, it was on a vacation to Canada when he was eight years old where he tried hockey for the first time, immediately falling in love with the sport.
“Everything I did was ice hockey and road hockey,” Haselhurst said. “I watched all the [Montreal] Canadiens games and became an instant fan of the game.”
Since the age of 12, Haselhurst has split his time between Canada and Australia. Living in French-speaking Montreal, hockey allowed him to integrate and make new friends. It also allowed the relatively small-framed player (68kg, 172cm) to hone his hockey skills in a country known for its hockey prowess.
“I think just from growing up in Canada, you always finish your checks,” Haselhurst said. “Playing in Canada, I was always the smallest guy, but I learned how to throw my weight around in a strategic way. I learned to play bigger than my body by learning how to hit and get hit.”
Growing up playing a more physical style of hockey is what Haselhurst says made his transition to the AIHL a smooth one.
“Being in Canada and always having had big guys try to kill me, then coming here where it’s a bit less of an aggressive game has benefitted me,” Haselhurst said. “I have the advantage where these guys haven’t been brought up being worried about getting hit every shift.”
Despite starting his AIHL career as a forward, Haselhurst really began to thrive after making the switch to defence. He’s started to thrive, become a consistent top-4 defender and the leading defensive scorer for the Thunder. Having recently graduated with an environmental science degree from Lyndon State College in Vermont, this will be Haselhurst’s first full season with the Thunder.
“He’s not the biggest player, but he’s very, very gritty with lots of speed,” Perth Thunder head coach Dave Kenway said. “He’s just one of those annoying players who’s always in that passing lane, always working. His feet are always moving and his speed is unreal. His tenacity on the puck, he never stops. He just never quits on the play.”
Haselhurst credits this tenacious style of play to genetics. His mother is an Olympian who competed for Canada’s field hockey team in the 1984 Olympics and went on to play nationally for Australia, while his father is a former athlete, coach, and inventor.
“My mom has the most determination ever, while my dad has more of the logical, analytical side,” Haselhurst said. “My dad would always critique me and give me constructive advice, while my mom taught me the hard work aspect.”
Haselhurst has played a major role in the Perth Thunder’s early season success, and said this season’s success has stemmed from a change in the team’s dynamic.
“Everyone is just getting along. The imports are great and you’re happy to see everyone,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to play for people you actually care about rather than just playing for yourself.”
Coach Kenway said Haselhurst fits in well with the team, although he concedes the popular defenceman nicknamed ‘The Mo’, “needs a good shave and a haircut.” Haselhurst insists he won’t be reaching for a razor any time soon. As for his nickname, it doesn’t seem to be going away either.
“The first year I was here, I didn’t have a jersey and I kind of grew this massive mustache as a joke,” Haselhurst laughed. “I was being called everything from ‘Luigi’ to ‘Pornstache’, but ‘The Mo’ is the one that ended up sticking.”
With the Thunder’s early season success and Haselhurst’s personal success on the ice, AIHL fans will be seeing a lot more of ‘The Mo’ this season – and hopefully for many more to come.
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