The 18-year-old netminder had not only backstopped a 2-1 decision over the Amherst Ramblers in his first game with the Crushers, the Dec. 18 victory marked Spear's first career win in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League.

It couldn't have come at a more opportune time for the Saint John native and, as the buzzer sounded at Amherst's Colchester Arena, months of uncertainty were wiped clear."I love it up here," Spear said from his billet's residence in Pictou, N.S. "You can tell by the vibe in the dressing room that everyone is already blending and connecting pretty good.

"It's seems like you'd expect and hope that a team would feel like."Spear joined the Crushers (17-11-0-1) on Dec. 16 when his playing rights were traded by the Campbellton Tigers (4-22-2-2).He describes the atmosphere at Weeks only in glowing terms, which might seem a little premature for such a recent acquisition.

But it's understandable when you consider the roller-coaster season he played through last year."It was kind of a long year," Spear said, referring to his 2008-09 campaign with the Tigers."We went through four or five coaching staff changes and there were so many players in and out of the dressing room, it was hard to adjust."Campbellton struggled to find a winning combination last year, finishing the regular season last overall in the league with a 6-44-2-1 record. Spear also stumbled in net, making 14 starts without picking up a win.

"A lot of people toward the end of the season started giving up and that's frustrating for a goaltender."But it was a good experience because for a rookie, I got a good amount of starts," Spear said.And he was ready and willing to stand between the pipes for the Tigers again this year. When he reported to Campbellton this fall, though, his prospects for ice time didn't look good.

The Tigers had brought in a new head coach and general manager who had already sought a pair of goalies for the club, and Spear decided his best option was to ask for a trade. He returned to Saint John, where he worked in construction and eventually suited up for the Port City Ice Dawgs of the Southern New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League. He only played three games with the Ice Dawgs, but said the experience was beneficial because the expansion club offered him a venue to face plenty of shots and keep his skills sharp."I was expecting to spend the rest of the season with the Ice Dawgs," Spear said. "I didn't want to give up hope, but it was getting down to the trade deadline."

Then, on Dec. 15, he got a call from the Crushers' head coach and general manager Troy Dumville. The next day he was officially traded and soon after got his first start with the club."I thought it was a sin that Nick wasn't playing in the league because he was good enough to be there," Dumville said."He's been everything and more that we'd hoped for."Spear's opportunity to join the team came after the Crushers' acquired 19-year-old Justin Collier through a trade with the Yarmouth Mariners.Collier would be their No. 1 but the Crushers' backup Randy Chisholm didn't want to play behind him, so he was traded to Campbellton for Spear.

Spear joined fellow Saint John native Dan Joyce, Weeks' second-leading scorer with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists)."The reality is we went out and acquired Collier hoping he could take us as far as we could go. But after Nick's first game he's proved to his teammates that he can get the work done, too," the Crushers' bench boss said.

"I was craving to get a junior A game in to see what it feels like again and to see if my hard work would pay off," Spear said of the Dec. 18 win where he stopped 32 shots."I was surprisingly relaxed and it was a great feeling (after the game). It's hard to describe, but I was in a really good mood and it was a great atmosphere on the bus."

Spear was drafted by the Saint John Sea Dogs in the fifth round of the 2008 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft (140th overall).The 2008 Most Valuable Player for the New Brunswick-P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League was one of the final goalies cut from the Dogs camp earlier this season.Spear hopes to gain some valuable experience this year with the Crushers and take another stab at entering the QMJHL next season.If it doesn't work out, his sights are set on the No. 1 slot in Pictou County.And Dumville thinks his chances could be pretty good."The future is great for him," he said, adding the Crushers' current No. 1 is on the National Collegiate Athletic Association radar."(Collier) could be gone next year and it's Nick's net to take over."