While most of the OHL focus in North Bay has been the incredible season for the North Bay Battalion and the 113-point season for North Bay's Lucas Edmonds in Kingston, there was another North Bay area player having an amazing season of his own.
Ben Gaudreau, goaltender with the Sarnia Sting, was recently named the team's 2022 player of the year.
The Corbeil product joins the likes of Travis Konecny, Steven Stamkos and Jordan Kyrou as winners' of the Sting MVP accolades.
"It is definitely a huge honour," admitted the former AAA Trappers netminder.
"When they were reading out the guys that had won it in the past, it was pretty mind-blowing being in the conversation with them, obviously it is very humbling as well. It is an honour and I can't thank my teammates and coaching staff enough to be given that honour."
During Gaudreau's memorable season he recorded 19 wins along with a pair of shutouts and 11 35 plus save performances.
He was also named the Sting Playoff MVP as the Sarnia squad was dispatched in six games by the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
"It was a long year like it was very busy. Looking at the condensed schedule, I think we started a couple of weeks late so we had to filter in an extra few games and then when you have games cancelled because of COVID-19 everything starts to pile up. I think one month in 2022 we had a crazy 16 games so stuff like that makes it a hard year with injuries," recalls Gaudreau about the 2021-22 season.
"At the end of the year, it was a lot of fun. It is definitely a tough conference to play in, the Western Conference. Getting to play in that conference was also very good for the development, myself included and the team as well. It was a lot of fun and at the end of the day we did a pretty good job showing all we could do - especially with such a young team going into next year it is going to be really interesting to see what we can bring."
Gaudreau says preparing for 2022-23 starts today. After a short break, he is back in the gym in North Bay working with well-known trainer Logan Baker.
"That is something I want to stay with, you don't want to lose that," he said about early spring dryland training.
"I will be back on the ice in the next few weeks with Todd Robillard in town and then Frankie Palazese, my goalie coach in Sarnia as he is based in Mississauga, so probably go see him a few times. Just those little things keeping up with hockey and the gym goes a long way so I will keep up with that and be back on the ice and before you know it I will be at Development Camp for San Jose and then main camp for San Jose and Sarnia so it is definitely exciting and being ready for those big moments."
After winning a gold with Team Canada's U18 team in Texas last summer, Gaudreau is hoping to catch the eye of Hockey Canada in time for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships with take place in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick during the Christmas holidays.
The last North Bay area player to make Team Canada was Dallas Stars prospect Colton Point back in 2016 in Buffalo where Canada won gold.
"I am definitely trying to push for that team, it is exciting," said Gaudreau.
"Again it is one of those moments you really have to work hard for and I have to keep up my development over the summer, spring and fall. You can't have a slow start to the season, you have to start off hot so it is something I am looking forward to and it's something I can't wait to see if I can make."
