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Clean slate for Brett Hargrave

North Bay's Brett Hargrave, seen here in pre-season action against the North Bay Battalion earlier this month, is preparing for his third season in the OHL.

 

North Bay's Brett Hargrave, seen here in pre-season action against the North Bay Battalion earlier this month, is preparing for his third season in the OHL. Hargrave was traded to the Owen Sound Attack early last season, posting four goals and six assists through 50 games with the new club. PHOTOS BY TOM MARTINEAU 

Right now, if you were to look at Brett Hargrave’s career stats in the Ontario Hockey League, they don't exactly jump off the page.

But then there are those moments where a flash of impressive offensive flair reminds you of what Hargrave can really do. Moments like two weeks ago when he buried a perfectly placed shot from a seemingly impossible short range against the North Bay Battalion in pre-season play.

Now, heading into his third season in major-junior, the 18-year-old North Bay native is out to prove he is capable of making those plays more often and more consistently for the Owen Sound Attack.

“I’m looking forward to this season, it should be a great year; we’ll see what happens,” Hargrave said optimistically.

Of course, not many people in the North Bay area will need reminding that Hargrave was once the 13th overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection Draft. But after being chosen by the Sarnia Sting in the first round, Hargrave’s tenure with the team hardly went as planned.

After a slower than expected start and not being able to work his way into a top scoring-line role, the towering 6’ 4”, 205-pound forward found his once promising OHL career with an uncertain future.

Just nine games into the 2013-14 season, Hargrave voluntarily left the team and requested a trade. While the reason for his departure from the team remains murky to this day, Hargrave insists that he just needed a fresh start; a clean slate with which to write the next chapter of his hockey development on.

Many in the hockey community began asking questions about his commitment to his team and the how impactful that decision would be on his NHL draft status.

But after returning home while the team pursued their trade options, Hargrave was ultimately dealt to the Attack for a package of draft picks.

Now, after registering four goals and six assists through 50 games with the club last season and the advantage of hindsight in his favour, Hargrave says the move was a good one for his development.

“It was a really good transition,” he said. “When I came to Owen Sound, the guys were really accepting and they made it really easy on me; there were no problems and I really enjoyed it here.

“It’s tough to compare, but the group of guys here are definitely a good team in terms of the guys in the dressing room, so you can’t complain about that.”

After being passed up in this past summer’s NHL Entry Draft after being highly regarded by many teams and scouts early on, it’s quite clear that the past bears no brunt on his future.

“There’s always that goal to do better than you did before. Even if the points aren’t there, you want to know that you’re always getting better,” he explained. “You want to get better, every day.”

So after two seasons in the league, Hargrave has proven himself as a worthy OHL calibre player. But many argue that his true potential at this level has yet to be realized, and what better time than now to bring that potential to fruition.

One area that Hargrave is looking for constant progression and improvement is his offensive output. He’s posted a modest 25 points through 113 regular season games over his first two seasons, a far cry from the numbers he put up through his minor hockey career with the Mississauga Rebels Minor Midget team and the North Bay Trappers before that.

This year, he knows that he’ll have to dig deep within his offensive arsenal and deliver the kind of statistical production that caught the eyes of OHL scouts and the Canada Ontario Under-17 team not long ago.

When the Owen Sound brass traded for him last year, they knew the potential upside in his game, and after having him in their line up for 50 games last season, they know full well what he’s capable of doing for them.

“He’s been in the league for three years now, he’s no longer a rookie; he’s got to find a way to fight his way into our top forwards consistently,” said Attack Head Coach Greg Ireland. “I expect that consistency, I expect him to use his size to win advantage for space and win pucks.

“I think Brett’s got to work on getting his feet moving and consistently winning battles and winning those pucks and making sure that’s he’s an impact guy every night,” Ireland continued.

Hargrave says working alongside fellow OHL players Danny Desrochers and Ken Appleby with local trainer Dave Whitehead this summer has him feeling confident heading into the regular season.

“You can always get faster with quicker feet, quicker starts; that’s something that you can always build on and that was a big focus for me this summer,” Hargrave explained. “I feel like Dave really helped me out with that this year, in the corners working down low I already feel a lot stronger now.”

Hargrave and the Attack are now in the final stages or training camp, with their regular season beginning on Sept. 24 against the Kitchener Rangers.

So now, with more experience, an ability to learn from his lessons and mistakes, a dangerous offensive flair and a responsible defensive game, it’s fair to say that Hargrave is still in a position to make an impact in the OHL this season. 


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Liam Berti

About the Author: Liam Berti

Liam Berti is a University of Ottawa journalism graduate who has since worked for BayToday as the City Council and North Bay Battalion reporter.
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