NHL Opens Tonight and Atkinson takes another Hard Knock

By Eddie Michels on October 8, 2014

Dunedin, Fla.–One day he is hit by a pitch another he makes his catching debut and on Wednesday and a fellow Canadian tries to run him over at the plate. So goes the life of Blue Jays Instructional League catcher and fellow Canadian Justin Atkinson. The Surrey, BC native Atkinson got the starting assignment on Wednesday when the Canadian National Junior Baseball team took on the Blue Jays at the Mattick Complex. To make a long story short Miles Gordon of Oakville, Ontario tried to score on a play he shouldn’t have and in the process he tried to run over Atkinson which he couldn’t do. Atkinson hung onto the throw, applied the tag but unfortunately the BC native took one on the right side of his head and he had to leave the game. The end result was the runner was out and the final score was Blue Jays 5, Canadian National Junior team 1.