It's a hot May afternoon in Corbeil.
Marshall McCharles is with his dad Joey at the outdoor rink putting in the work shooting hundreds of pucks and punishing himself when he doesn't find the twine.
"Missing the net only results in more burpees, push-ups and sit-ups," said McCharles about his unique workout on the multi-use outdoor facility.
When Marshall is not at the rink or at school, he is at the gym.
"The work never stops," said the 16-year-old who turns 17 in late November.
"Once the hockey season ends your development and work shifts to the gym and outdoor rinks. My brother who received a scholarship to play football for Western University has taken me under his wing in the weight room. Every day I’m working on my fast twitch muscles, cardio or strength training."
The North Bay forward who was drafted in the 10th round by the OHL's Sudbury Wolves in 2022, wrapped up an impressive rookie season with the Sudbury Cubs of the NOJHL where he netted 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 57 games in 2022-23.
"My season with the Cubs was everything I thought it was going to be," said McCharles.
"The head coach Darryl Moxam and the rest of the coaching staff followed through with their promises and commitment to myself to help me get better. I was 15 years old at the time I started with the Cubs last fall and I credit my huge strides in my development and maturity to the coaches and the veteran players who took me under their wing.
Despite being the youngest player on the Cubs, Moxam trusted McCharles with both penalty kill and power play duty during the regular season and playoffs.
"I felt I was a dependable player," he said.
"It was an honour to wear the Cubs jersey. A year in Junior 'A' has prepared me for the next step," he continued.
McCharles is considered a late bloomer.
The 6'1", 180-pound forward was cut from North Bay AAA in Under-12, but that didn't slow him down.
He moved back to defence for a couple of seasons in AA before joining the U16 AAA Trappers in 2021-22 where he transitioned back to playing forward where he caught the eye of OHL scouts and the Sudbury Wolves.
The grade 11 student at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall, named to Northern Ontario's U16 All-Stars which played in the OHL Cup in the spring of 2022, believes he has made those huge strides because of his focus and his good coaching.
"I know what it’s like not to make a team or get sat while playing minor hockey," he said.
"I’m working hard on and off the ice as much as I can to continue my progress."
With all that hard work, McCharles is hoping to make the jump to major junior hockey next season; either in the USHL or in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves this fall.
"I’m gearing up for a week-long tryout with the Sioux City Musketeers in Iowa in the USHL," said McCharles about this option that opens NCAA doors for him.
"I was honoured to get invited. Depending on what happens there I will be attending the Sudbury Wolves main camp this summer."
If he gets signed by the Wolves and goes the OHL route, McCharles will look forward to playing at Memorial Gardens as a visitor. It's a role he enjoyed while playing for the Cubs against the Powassan Voodoos last season.
"It was fun playing against some of the guys I knew from playing minor hockey," said McCharles.
"It was also always fun to play in Powassan and see my family and friends in the stands. There’s something about playing against a local team."
