If people are a product of their environment, then they should surround themselves with the best.
Just days after his incredible season with the North Bay Battalion came to an end, Mike Amadio has taken the next step in that direction by joining the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League.
“The day after we were out, I got a text from [Los Angeles King’s Vice President] Michael Futa in L.A. to say I was heading down to Ontario, so it’s obviously been pretty exciting,” Amadio said on his way to meet the team Sunday.
Amadio, a third-round, 90th-overall draft pick by the Kings in 2014, hasn’t exactly had the time to fully debrief from his magical season.
But as a friendly reminder of his Battalion roots, his new club will be squaring off against one of his former teammate mentors this Friday as the Reign begin the playoffs against Barclay Goodrow and the San Jose Barracuda.
Amadio won’t be travelling with the team for the first two games though, instead staying behind with fellow prospects Spencer Watson, Sam Herr and Matt Schmalz to work with the Kings’ development staff.
“Had a good meeting with all those guys yesterday, just explained the situation and how valuable and important they are to us,” Reign coach Mike Stothers said on the team’s website. “One minute you’re a black ace and you’re practicing separately to the fact that you could be dressed and playing in a game.”
If and when when that call comes, there’s little doubt Amadio will be ready.
“It’s been pretty quick - I haven’t really thought about it much,” said the soft-spoken and humble Battalion captain. “I just had the chance to pack my stuff and I’ve been getting ready to go for Ontario ever since.
“I’m just going to go there and work really hard - that’s obviously the most important thing,” he added.
The Sault Ste. Marie native captured the hearts of North Bay Battalion fans this season, as they witnessed the evolution of an elite major-junior goalscorer and leader in the true sense of the word.
And it happened quick, too.
Known first and foremost as a set-up man through his first three seasons and playing in the shadow of premier OHL talent on previous years’ teams, Amadio turned into one of the most dangerous offensive threats night-in and night-out.
His goalscoring touch was always evident though, as North Bay fans will remember in the absence of Nick Paul during his World Junior tournament last season. But no one predicted his prolific pace to explode the way it did.
After starting the campaign with zero goals through his first six games and just one in his first eight, Amadio's production progressed through the first half of the season.
Then a five-goal game against Kingston in mid-February demanded the attention of the league and planted the seed for a flourishing finish to a franchise record-setting campaign.
“I think it was a great year in North Bay,” Amadio said simply. “I gained a lot more confidence and I learned to shoot the puck a lot more.
“There was a bit more pressure there - we needed a go-to guy and it was nice being that guy,” he added. “It was frustrating at times obviously when you need that secondary scoring and you’re not getting it - you need it to win games. It was tough at times, but I think we tried our best.”
By seasons end, he excelled with 20 goals in his last 17 games, beginning with the five-goal explosion in Kingston. He also finished the regular season ninth in league scoring with 98 points and fourth overall in goals.
That consistency continued throughout the playoffs too, with 12 goals in the team’s 9 post-season games.
In what Battalion head coach Stan Butler calls a passing of the torch among the team-cultivated talent, Amadio’s concern for the future of the team is still palpable.
He’s the first to admit that there’s an immediate goalscoring void that needs to be filled by the inconsistent secondary scoring sources this season.
After all, he and fellow top-line talent Mathew Santos accounted for 33 per cent of the team’s regular season goalscoring and more than half in their post-season push.
“I think [Riley] Bruce is going to be the leader there in that group,” Amadio predicted. “But I think [Brett] McKenzie and [Zach] Pourier will definitely need to step up offensively and carry the load in that sense.”
In the meantime though, North Bay will be keeping a close eye on their former fixation as he climbs the ranks.
Reflecting on his four-year Battalion tenure, over which he ultimately registered 226 points in 263 regular season games, Amadio said certain memories stand above the rest.
“Probably that first year going to the finals with that group of guys - the leaders like Barclay Goodrow, Dylan Blujus, Matt MacLeod, and Ben Thomson,” he said. “Just learning what those guys did every day, how hard they work and what it takes to make it to the next level was amazing.”
While he himself is off to bigger and better things too, he has undoubtedly left his mark on the town, and the town has also left a mark on him.
“It’s going to be weird leaving North Bay,” he said. “The city and the team were great to me and my family the last three years and I’ll never forget it.
“The fans, my billets, the organization - I really can’t say enough good things about them,” he added. “It just felt like home.”
