WINDSOR, Ont. – It’s an experience that no player involved ever forgets.
For Garden River’s Owen Headrick, the Erie Otters run to an Ontario Hockey League championship couldn’t come at a better time.
Headrick joined the Otters in January after playing his freshman and part of his sophomore season in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with the Lake Superior State Lakers.
“We’re a really special team,” Headrick said. “We’ve got a lot of really special players. I’ve just tried to enjoy it as much as a I can. I’ve only had a short time here but I’ve really liked it.”
The 19-year-old defenceman called the skill level of the league the biggest difference he noticed in making the jump from college to major junior.
“It’s a totally different game,” Headrick said. “The biggest difference is the speed and skill in the OHL is unreal. You’re playing against some of the top guys in the world at their age. That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve noticed.”
The transition to the OHL has allowed Headrick to hone his game and develop different aspects of his on-ice performance.
“I’ve just started to be more responsible defensively,” Headrick said. “I’ve really tried to work on that since coming to the OHL and I think that’s the biggest (improvement) I’ve noticed.”
Erie Coach Kris Knoblauch said the addition of Headrick shortly after the trade deadline helped get the Otters back on track.
“We had a big turning point in our season,” Knoblauch said. “We had a pretty strong first half and then around the World Juniors we were missing guys and we started losing games. Even when the guys came back, we still weren’t playing very well. At the trade deadline, Anthony Cirelli joined us and Owen joined us about a week after that. If you look at our record after that, we started really taking off as a team. A lot of it had to do with having six solid defencemen that we could play and Owen has been a guy that we’ve used on the power play and the penalty kill.”
Knoblauch had high praise for Headrick and what he’s brought to the organization.
“I compare him a lot to Darren Raddysh,” Knoblauch said. “They skate (similarly), they’re strong on the puck. They block a lot of shots. Darren had an unbelievable breakout year as a 20-year-old and I could see Owen being that number one power play guy next year and being a key guy.”
“The biggest thing is battling in the corners for those loose pucks,” Knoblauch added. “He’s a strong guy. It’s something that we felt we needed to (improve). We’ve got a lot of puck-movers and he’s good at moving the puck but we wanted to get a little bit stronger and get a guy who could play against the other teams power forwards and he’s a guy that can do that.”
Headrick credited the Erie coaching staff in helping him improve his game since joining the team.
“He’s a really good coach and I’ve learned a lot from him,” Headrick said. “Even our assistant coaches, B.J. Adams and Wes Wolfe, are both really good. They’ve definitely taught me a lot since I came (to Erie).”
For Headrick, the Memorial Cup has been the experience of a lifetime.
“It’s been an awesome experience,” Headrick said Friday ahead of the Otters semifinal win over the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Saint John Sea Dogs. “I got to play against the best teams from across the country. It was pretty cool to see all of the good players and just be a part of this.”
With his family in attendance for the event, Headrick called it a “big deal” to have them at the tournament.
“My family is a big part of my life and I’m glad they were able to make the trip and support me through this special time in my life,” Headrick said. “It’s a big deal that they were there to watch me every step of the way.”