Speed, skill, and offence are three things that U16 AAA Trappers forward Owen Smith brings to the ice every time he goes to the rink.
The North Bay area forward finished 12th in Great North U18 scoring 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points in 30 regular season games with the U16 Trappers team coached by Jeff Mancini and Richard Rochefort.
Smith fit into the forechecking game plan of hunting pucks which was implemented by the coaching staff on day one of training camp.
"I am a forward who likes to use my speed and smarts in the offensive zone to create scoring chances for myself and my teammates," said the 2009 birth year right-hand shot forward about his game.
"I also take a lot of pride in shutting the opposing team down in the defensive zone. I love to play on both the power play and penalty kill because they are both challenging in their own way and a great way to help your team be successful."
While his club season ended in the Great North U18 playoffs play-in tourney as the U16 Trappers fell to the Soo U18 Greyhounds in the final, Smith does have more hockey on the horizon as a member of Team NOHA which will be participating at the OHL Cup which begins March 24 in Toronto.
Smith is hoping to see his name pop up on the screen during the annual OHL Priority Selection which takes place online on April 11 and 12.
He enjoyed the challenge of playing league play against older U18 teams in the north this season.
"It took a little time to adjust to the change but I think the biggest thing is using my strengths to my advantage," he said.
"I am not as big as them so I try to use my skills, quickness, and determination to win battles."
Smith has some good hockey roots. His dad Steve Smith was a hard-working centre with the Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires of the OHL between 1989 and 1992.
"My family has helped me so much to get to where I am today with all of their support and commitment," said Smith.
"But I think that my dad has been my biggest influence as he coached me for several years. My dad played the game at a high level, so he is able to help me with my individual skills but also my overall game."
Smith models his game after Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.
"I like watching how hard he works in both ends of the ice and just the little things he does to help his team win as he was a big part of Tampa Bay’s back-to-back Stanley Cups," he said.
Smith believes his best asset is his ability to move the puck.
"I believe I do a good job finding an open man and knowing when to move the puck to them," he said.
"A part of my game that I would like to improve on is finding open seams when I don’t have the puck. This will allow me to have more time and space to make a play."
Smith is excited about the OHL Draft but he is trying not to worry about it too much.
"My focus is on playing my game, competing hard, and helping my team win," said Smith.