Trappers sniper getting Marooned

Story by Lucas Punkari

For North Bay Trappers forward Nick Huard, the sting of being snubbed by the Ontario Hockey League in the 2007 entry draft, was just more fuel to the fire.

"When I found out that I was passed over in the draft, I started working extremely hard and it gave me added confidence going into the season,' Huard said.

"It made me realize that I had to work even harder throughout the course of the year on every shift. Hopefully I’ve done that, and good things will happen this time around."

In his second year with the Great North Midget League club, Huard doubled his goal total to 34 from 15 last season, averaging a goal per game in the process. He also added 29 helpers, to lead the Trappers in scoring with 63 points, one point ahead of league and team rookie of the year Mitchell Davis. Huard also led the team in scoring during the playoffs with 15 points in only six games.

With his success this season, which concluded earlier this month at the team banquet where he received the top forward and most valuable player award to go on with 2nd-team all-star honors from the league, Huard finds himself with a chance once again to be drafted - this time as a 16-year-old player on May 2nd - along with opportunities to play Tier II junior hockey as well.

"My dream was to get drafted to the OHL, but after getting past over that seemed out of reach," Huard explained.

"Hopefully this year, I can get drafted as an overaged player, but if that doesn’t happen, Tier II would be a great place to go as well. I’ve got a lot of junior teams and a couple of major junior teams looking at me, but we’re going to sit down and discuss things with my dad and see what my future entails."

One Junior 'B' team that has looked at Huard is the Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, who have offered him an invitation to their rookie camp on May 16th and 17th.

"Nick got my attention from how hard he worked during a game and the fact that he seemed to be in on every goal," Maroons Northern Ontario scout Wayne McClelland said about the Trappers forward.

"He’s a good kid with a really great attitude and he works really hard on his conditioning as well. He can definitely play in our league, and even if he doesn’t make it with us somebody will grab him."

This year’s Maroons team saw three players from the North make the team. Former Blind River Beaver Jason Bird was signed before the season began, while Soo North Stars products Mike Rivard and Kevin Closs worked their way from the rookie camp to the team.

"You’re going from playing with 15-17 year olds, to playing against players up to 20 years of age," McClelland said in regards to the jump from a league like the GNML to the GOJHL.

"It’s like jumping into the OHL, but without the skill level in that league to deal with. The size level is different as well and the first few weeks is spent getting used to the older players. It’s really comparable to the NOJHL and the top teams in each league match up very well with one another.

"The guys last year made the jump well, Rivard was among the top players in team scoring and Closs became a top defenseman on both the power play and the penalty kill."

No matter what his future may hold, Huard will be working hard during the off-season to prepare himself for whatever comes his way.

"I’m going to be spending a lot more time on my foot-work during the summer," Huard explained.

"I’ve talked to a lot of guys and they’ve said my acceleration needs a little bit of work, so I’ll be keying in on that and should be better come next year."