Eshkawkogan relishing trip home amid whirlwind start to OHL career

It has been quite the start to Kohyn Eshkawkogan’s OHL career.

Nine games in, he has proven to be a stout defender, but is also chipping in at the offensive end of the rink, putting up five points to date, good for the league lead amongst rookie defenders.

As impressive as that is on its own, when you consider the fact that he is yet to celebrate his 16th birthday, it puts things into better perspective.

On Sunday against the Barrie Colts, the Manitoulin Island native reached an important milestone: scoring his first OHL goal. It was a nice one, too, firing a laser past veteran goaltender, Sam Hillebrandt.

You’d have never known it was such a big moment, though. Like a savvy veteran who has scored hundreds of times before, Eshkawkogan lifted his right hand into the air, hardly allowing a smile to escape.

“I was excited to score and get that out of the way, but I didn’t show it on the ice, because I knew we still had a period and a bit to go,” Eshkawkogan said.

After the game, he walked up the stairs at the East end of the rink, and found his father, where they shared in a quiet celebration. He may have fooled everyone on the ice, but it was a big deal for the 15-year-old. He’s worked a long time to get here.

The excitement and joy was temporary, however. The page has already been turned.

“It was always at the back of my mind, just trying to get that first one,” Eshkawkogan said. “Now that I have it, it’s not really going to affect me anymore, I’ll just play my game from here on out.”

The strong start to the season helped Eshkawkogan earn a call from Hockey Canada. He’ll suit up for Team Canada Red at the Under-17 World Challenge, alongside fellow OHL rookies Pierce Mbuyi, Colin Fitzgerald, and Alessandro Di Iorio, to name just a few.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to represent Canada,” Eshkawkogan said. “To me, playing for your home country is every kid’s dream.”

Of course, with his strong family connection the way it is, the first people to know were his parents.

“They were just so proud of me,” Eshkawkogan said. “They kept congratulating me, and telling me how proud they are. They also reminded me that earned what I got.”

After being drafted 21st overall by the Barber Poles in the most recent OHL Priority Selection, Eshkawkogan represented Ontario at the U18 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, where he took home Best Defenceman honours, while leading the tournament in points.

The youngster says this feels like an evolutionary step.

“Feels like a big difference,” Eshkawkogan said. “You’re not just representing your home province, you’re representing every province, every territory, at the international level, as well.”

When evaluating his own game, Eshkawkogan believes he’s made early strides in terms of puck poise, one of Head Coach Dave Cameron’s favourite buzzwords. He has also seen growth in his physicality, and has proven to be fearless playing against older players, which is promising, considering he’ll once again be one of the youngest players on the team at the U17’s in Sarnia in early November.

When asked about his goals at the tournament, he wouldn’t even hint at anything personal, instead repeating three words: “bring home gold.”

One weekend remains before he takes off for his first Hockey Canada event, and it’s a cool one for Eshkawkogan. It’s the Barber Poles’ annual Northern Ontario road trip, and a homecoming of sorts.

The 67’s have plans to get out to Manitoulin Island to do some sightseeing, which has Eshkawkogan excited to play the role of tour guide for a few hours.

“That’s going to be exciting,” Eshkawkogan said. “They’ll get to see where I grew up and played hockey for a bit, and then I’ll show them around the town, it’s going to be be cool.”

Of course, that means he’s bringing his family to games. He’s not too sure of the numbers yet, but describes it as “a bunch.”

“I’ve got lots of family going to all three games this weekend, especially in Sudbury,” Eshkawkogan said. “I think it’s going to be like a home game for us with the number of people that are going.”